


Animal Magnetism

by Sophia_Ravencrest



Series: Animal Magnetism [1]
Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: #vetlife, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Animal Death, Animal euthanasia, Anxiety, Ben is a Veterinarian, Blow Jobs, But no one dies, Complete, Cunnilingus, Depression, Desk Sex, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, HEA, Hammock smut, Hickeys, Hug Your Veterinarian, Kylo Ren | Ben Solo in Sunglasses, Leia is a Psychiatrist, Luke is an asshole, Masturbation, Oral Sex, Praise Kink, Rey Needs A Hug, Rey is a Veterinarian, Shameless Smut, Shower Sex, Smutmuffins, Suicide Attempt, Veterinary Clinic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-10
Updated: 2020-04-03
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:00:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 40,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22655134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sophia_Ravencrest/pseuds/Sophia_Ravencrest
Summary: Veterinarian Rey gets the opportunity of a lifetime when Luke Skywalker retires and gifts her his veterinary practice. Sexy corporate veterinarian/CEO Kylo Ren attempts a hostile takeover of Rey's new clinic. Rey can't help but wonder if she has finally met her match... in more ways than one.COMPLETE!
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Series: Animal Magnetism [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1701217
Comments: 71
Kudos: 159





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My first attempt at multi-chapter fic and an actual plot. Happy reading!
> 
> A special shout-out to my fantastic beta and sister from another mister, bellestar, for encouraging me and helping me become a better writer.

Rey still couldn’t believe it. She had gone to college for eight years, taken out two hundred thousand dollars in student loans, and traveled nineteen hundred miles to get to this moment: her first day as a veterinarian in her very own clinic. Even more than the day she graduated first in her veterinary class, today she felt like Doctor Rey. 

Not that she’d had much time to get used to the title. It had only been five days since she walked across the stage and received her diploma. After the ceremony, her favorite professor, Dr. Lor San Tekka, had pulled her aside and asked her if she’d found a position yet. Rey had shaken her head uncomfortably, embarrassed that she hadn’t landed a job yet. 

“The market is tough for new vets, especially for those who turn down promising internships in favor of going straight into practice,” Dr. San Tekka chided, raising his eyebrows. 

Rey sighed and answered, “We’ve been through this, Dr. San Tekka. I can’t afford to spend a year getting paid peanuts when I don’t even want to be a specialist. All I want is to get out on my own and start helping animals.”

Dr. San Tekka held his hands up in front of him. “I know, Rey. I know. Forgive an old man for not wanting to let go of his star pupil.”

Rey’s eyes softened, and Dr. San Tekka continued, “I received a call from a very old friend this morning. He’s retiring, and he’s looking to turn over his practice to the right person. I told him I knew just the girl.”

“Truly, I’m honored, but I can’t afford-” Rey started, but Dr. San Tekka quickly silenced her with a wave of his hand.

“I think you misunderstand, Rey. Luke is independently wealthy. He’s giving his practice away. To you, if you want it.”

Rey was flabbergasted. It was unheard of. No one just gave away their veterinary practice to a complete stranger. Veterinarians had to work for years and go into all kinds of debt to get their own practice. The shock must have shown on her face because Dr. San Tekka chuckled and said mischievously, “Unless you’re not interested…”

“Are you serious? Of course I’m interested. I’m beyond interested. It’s a dream come true. When do I start? Where do I start? Who is this Luke guy anyway?” Rey babbled through a wide grin.

“I had hoped you would say that,” Dr. San Tekka said, smiling at her fondly. “You start as soon as you can get to Minnesota. Luke has agreed to meet you at the airport.”

Which is how, five days later, Rey found herself shaking hands with Luke Skywalker, her mysterious benefactor, at the airport in Minneapolis. Her first thought was that he looked tired. He looked to be about sixty, with a graying beard and hair to his shoulders, and he had the saddest blue eyes she had ever seen. She suddenly wondered nervously what had made him so eager to retire that he didn’t even want to take the time to sell the practice he’d built. 

She quickly pushed the anxious thought aside. She hadn’t spent the entire day traveling across the country with two cranky cats and a distressed Irish Wolfhound to quit at the first sign of trouble. Besides, she had packed up her small campus apartment in California and shipped all her belongings to Luke’s clinic, her clinic. The resort town of Endor, Minnesota was her home now. 

Luke didn’t say much on the three-hour car ride to the veterinary clinic, despite Rey’s attempts at conversation. Not that it was easy to communicate with him, given the whining dog and two yowling cats in the backseat. Despite Luke’s reticence and her pets’ complaints, Rey’s excitement only increased as their journey progressed. 

“I didn’t know there was this much green in the whole galaxy,” Rey said with quiet awe as fields, trees, and lakes flashed past the car window. 

“Where are you from?” Luke asked, startling Rey. She hadn’t expected him to answer.

“Nowhere,” Rey mumbled, looking down.

“No one’s from nowhere,” he pressed.

“Jakku,” she said with annoyance. She hated talking about her past.

“All right, that is pretty much nowhere,” he admitted. “You know, I grew up in a little town in the desert, too. Minnesota was quite a shock after that, but you’ll get used to it.”

They lapsed back into silence as Luke exited the freeway at the sign for Endor, and Rey eagerly looked out the window. She hadn’t had much time to research the little town because she had been so busy packing up her life. Now she tried to absorb everything she could as they drove through the small downtown area, taking note of the grocery store, coffee house, and even a few restaurants and shops designed to cater to summer tourists. 

When they reached the end of Main Street, Luke gestured to a small, 2-story building to their right. “Here we are: Resistance Veterinary Clinic.”

Rey stared in delight as they pulled around to the back of the clinic. She couldn’t believe this place was really hers. 

“I don’t know how to thank you for this,” Rey choked out tearfully. No one had ever given her such a gift in her life.

“Trust me, there’s nothing to thank me for,” he said gruffly, bringing Rey up short. 

She frowned, doubt blooming in the pit of her stomach again. She stared at him as he got out of the car and slammed the door. Keys in hand, Luke unlocked the back door to the clinic and went inside without a glance at Rey.

Rey hooked Chewie’s leash to his collar and slipped it around her wrist. Then she grabbed a cat carrier in each hand, and shut the car door with her foot. “Come on, boys. We aren’t going to let some grumpy old man step on our moment, are we?”

Rey sidled into the clinic awkwardly, trying to manage both cat carriers while Chewie pulled on his leash. Finally inside, she shut the back door and freed her animals. She patted each one gently in turn, making sure they were intact after the last leg of their journey. Chewie wagged his tail, and Artoo and Threepio purred quietly as they twined around Rey’s legs. 

“Luke?” she called, wondering where the cantankerous man had gotten to. 

“Upstairs!” he hollered back, and Rey followed his voice up the staircase to her right into the little studio apartment above the clinic. 

“I put your boxes up here in the studio. It isn’t much, but Lor told me you were interested in it. The place hasn’t been used since...” he trailed off. She thought she saw anger flash in his eyes for a moment, but when he cleared his throat, it was gone. 

“Are you sure that’s okay?” Rey said nervously, unsure if she was displacing him.

“Better than it sitting empty,” Luke grunted, then added, “I live over on the other side of the lake.”

Rey nodded dumbly, unsure of how to continue. She felt like she was walking on eggshells, unable to navigate confidently through Luke’s moods. 

Thankfully, Luke broke the silence. “I’ll show you around the clinic, so you know what you’re working with.”

Luke led her on a whirlwind tour of the clinic equipment and facilities, all of which Rey proudly assured him she knew how to use and maintain. She had always been a natural with anything mechanical, and Rey’s college math professors had said it was a shame she didn’t want to be an engineer.  
At 5:50 pm, Luke checked his watch and informed her, “We’d better head over to the coffee shop. Snap Wexley’s meeting us at six o’clock at the coffee shop to transfer the title and business ownership to you, and then I’ll be out of your hair.”

Rey blinked in disbelief. This was all going incredibly fast, and it made her wary. She had only arrived a couple of hours ago, and Luke was already prepared to hand her the reins?

“You mean you’re not going to train me?” Rey blurted out.

“I don’t train young veterinarians anymore,” Luke snapped. “You just finished vet school, and Lor says you’re the best of the best. You figure it out.”

“But-” Rey started to object.

Luke cut her off sharply, snarling, “I’m trusting you with this clinic on one condition. No matter how bad things get, don’t even consider letting First Order Veterinary Corporation take over management of the business.”

Rey stepped back, anxiety blaring like alarm bells in her mind. No matter how bad things get? What was that supposed to mean?

“Why would I-” Rey began to say.

“Are we clear?” Luke roared, interrupting her again. 

“Completely,” Rey answered quietly. Unfortunately, she had learned quickly in foster care how to deal with outbursts of all kinds, and they didn’t scare her one bit. She knew when to speak calmly and back down, and when to stand up and fight. She still needed Luke to sign the clinic over to her, so there was no sense in starting an argument and causing him to change his mind. It wasn’t like she was planning on selling anyway, so what did it matter?

Just as Rey had hoped, Luke deflated. His anger disappeared with a sigh, and he walked out the door toward the coffee house. Rey locked up and followed quietly, suddenly very glad he wouldn’t be around to be her mentor. 

After a large amount of iced tea and paperwork and a gruff goodbye from Luke as he handed her the keys, the clinic belonged to Rey. For the sake of her doctorly dignity, she held in her whoop of joy until she got inside the clinic and closed the door behind her. She knelt down, celebrating briefly as Chewie, Artoo, and Threepio enveloped her in warm fur. Then she looked up, sighed, and realized it was time for the real work to begin.

***

The next few days were a blur of activity. Rey wanted to get the clinic up and running as fast as possible. Not only was she losing business every day she stayed closed, but there wasn’t another veterinarian for miles. She didn’t want Endor’s animals to go without a doctor for any longer than they had to. 

Rey threw herself head first into setting up her new home and her new business, making a seemingly endless string of phone calls while she unpacked her few belongings and took inventory of the clinic. After talking to the barista at the coffee shop this morning, she also had a lead on the staff she would need. 

She looked at the business card the barista had handed her and smiled at the picture of an orange and white Pomeranian with a hilarious spherical haircut. “Dameron’s Dog ‘Do’s Grooming Service” it read; she liked the business owner already. She was delighted when he readily agreed to meet her at the park by the lake that afternoon. 

Rey stuffed her pockets with dog treats and hooked Chewie to his leash. She was glad it was a sunny summer afternoon and a short walk to the park, since she didn’t own a car. As she approached the patch of green space by the lake, she could easily pick out Poe Dameron by his round Pomeranian sidekick. Chewie barked happily when he spotted the Pom, and Rey waved to Poe. 

“Well, hey there! You must be Rey. And who’s this handsome fellow?” Poe asked, grinning charmingly and extending his hand. Rey shook it firmly, watching as the dogs greeted each other.

“This is Chewie,” Rey replied, smiling, “I recognize your friend from your business card. What’s his name?”

“I call him Beebee VIII. He comes from a long line of show dogs, but he didn’t quite make the cut. I took him home anyway, and now he’s my mascot. I can’t imagine life without him,” Poe gushed as he looked down at the dog. 

“I know what you mean. Chewie and I have been through a lot together,” Rey said, watching fondly as the huge Irish Wolfhound bowed playfully toward the little Pomeranian. 

“So what can I do for you, Rey?” Poe asked.

“I’m the new vet. I just took over the clinic in town, and I’m looking to staff it. I need an assistant and a receptionist. And frankly, I wouldn’t mind having a groomer, either. You know, someone who knows the local dogs and their owners,” Rey finished hopefully. 

“I think I know a guy who might fit the bill.” Poe winked at her. “And I know just the two you need. My boyfriend, Finn, is the most organized guy I know, and he’s looking for a new gig. Our friend, Rose, grew up on a farm, and she’s not afraid of anything. Smart as a whip, too. She’s not formally trained, but she learns fast. What do you say I set up a meeting?”

In the blink of an eye, Poe texted Finn and Rose, and several hours later, Rey found herself chatting with Poe, Finn, and Rose over all-you-can-eat pancakes and malts. Rey had bonded quickly with Finn and Rose, who were just as friendly as Poe and equally as enthusiastic about working at the clinic. 

“Then it’s settled,” Rey cheered, as they clinked their malt cups, “We start on Monday.”

***

Rey had failed to sleep for even a moment Sunday night. She had been so busy madly preparing for her first day in practice that she hadn’t really had a chance to think about the fact that she was in charge. Poe, Finn, Rose, her clients, everyone would all look to her for leadership. She was barely twenty-six and this was her first real job as a veterinarian. What the hell did she know?

“Breathe, Rey,” Finn said from behind the front desk. 

“Yeah, Doc,” Rose chimed in, “You’re starting to look a little green around the gills.”

“You got this, Dr. Rey,” Poe added, as the door chime signaled their first client of the day. 

The morning got off to a busy start, which Rey wasn’t expecting, given that she was all but unknown in Endor. The fact that Resistance Vet Clinic had been closed for the week and there wasn’t another veterinarian for miles meant that she had double the work waiting for her. By lunch time, Rey had treated three ear infections, a case of fleas, a broken toenail, an infected tooth, and a broken leg. The phone was still ringing at an alarming rate, and the lobby was filling up fast.

Finn, Rose, and Poe were making a valiant effort to help Rey. However, the reality was that they were all still learning how a vet clinic was supposed to run, so Rey had to teach them how to do everything. She hoped she didn’t look as frazzled as she felt when Finn told her that a dog that ate rat poison and a cat with a swollen shoulder were on their way in. Rey took a deep breath, plastered a smile on her face, and tried to clear the lobby before the two emergencies Finn had mentioned made it in. 

Miraculously, Rey and her team had managed to help every single person and animal who walked through the door, although they had lost count of the number of times they had to apologize for the wait to anxious pet owners. At some point mid-afternoon, Rose had forced Rey to eat a granola bar while she called the grateful owner of the dog she had just finished stitching up. By five o’clock, Rey was hopeful they were in the home stretch, since there were only two clients left waiting in the lobby. 

That’s when he pulled up in a sports car, wearing an expensive suit and sunglasses. Rey tried to compose herself as he walked in, filling the door frame with his tall, muscular body. She gazed up into his handsome face, which was framed by soft black hair. After he quirked an eyebrow at her, Rey realized she hadn’t said anything yet. She also realized her hair was a mess, her scrubs were stained with blood, and someone’s pet rat was peeking out of her breast pocket. 

“How can I help you, sir?” she squeaked, and then cleared her throat. “Are you here to pick up your pet?”

“I’m looking for Dr. Rey, the clinic owner,” he said in a smooth, rich voice that gave Rey goosebumps. 

“You found her,” Rey told him, pointing at herself with both thumbs. 

The gorgeous man gave her a withering look. “You? You’re barely old enough to drive, much less be a doctor. Why would Luke turn over his practice to you?” 

Rey could feel her face reddening from embarrassment and anger, as her clients watched and whispered. She took a deep breath to control herself. “Well, I can assure you that I am Dr. Rey, but unfortunately you’re just going to have to take a seat until I finish with these clients, Mister…?”

“Ren,” he filled in, “Kylo Ren.”

“I’ll be with you as soon as I can, Mr. Ren,” Rey forced out politely. With all the dignity she could muster, she turned on her heel and headed back into an exam room to return the rat in her pocket to its owner.

Rey had almost forgotten about Kylo Ren by the time she walked into her last appointment, an elderly woman whose toy poodle needed its yearly vaccines. Rey picked up the little poodle and smiled at the woman, inquiring, “And how has Buttons been doing?”

“Are you sure you know what you’re doing? The man in the lobby said you’re a brand new doctor, and you probably don’t know anything. Given how long I had to wait, I think he might be right,” the woman sniped, as Rey’s face fell. 

“I do apologize for the wait, ma’am, and I assure you that I am more than qualified to help Buttons,” Rey gritted out, silently cursing Kylo Ren.

After giving Buttons her shots and seeing the unpleasant old woman to front desk, Rey turned her attention to Kylo Ren. 

“I can see you now, Mr. Ren,” Rey said, glaring at the stupidly handsome man in the suit, “Follow me, please.”

Rey took Kylo Ren back to her office, shut the door, and immediately laid into him.

“Who do you think you are, Kylo Ren? Insulting me in front of my clients, telling them that I don’t know how to do my job. What the hell do you know?” By the end of her tirade, she had stalked over to him and was poking her finger into his chest to emphasize her point. 

Kylo Ren stepped closer, towering over her as he snapped, “I’m a veterinarian and the CEO of First Order Veterinary Corporation, and I know plenty, sweetheart. I know you moved here from California after you graduated last week, that this is your first job as a veterinarian, and after sitting in your lobby for an hour, I know you have no clue how to run a business.”

Rey narrowed her eyes when she heard the words First Order Veterinary Corporation, the very company to which Luke had made her swear not to sell. He was so close she could feel the heat radiating off his body and smell his heady scent. She didn’t give an inch as she spat, “Let’s cut the bullshit, shall we? I’m not selling this clinic to you. Ever.”

“You know I can take whatever I want,” he said silkily in her ear, sending a shiver down her spine.

“I’m not giving you anything,” she ground out. “Get out of my clinic. Now.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to my amazing beta and all around awesome person bellestar for all her feedback and encouragement!

Despite the exhaustion from her first day, Rey tossed and turned in bed, eliciting various protests from the animals snuggled in with her. She fumed and ruminated, repeatedly turning over her interaction with Kylo Ren in her mind. Even hours later, his insults landed squarely in the center of her own self-doubt, like he had known right where to hit her. Rey put her pillow over her head and groaned, frustrated that she let him get to her. 

The more she tried to drive out her thoughts of Kylo Ren, the more they seemed to crop up. Her mutinous mind kept conjuring up the feeling of his muscular chest beneath her finger, his hot breath in her ear, and his delicious scent in her nostrils. When she finally surrendered into a fitful sleep well after midnight, Rey dreamt of Kylo Ren’s full lips caressing every inch of her body, his smoldering gaze locked with hers.

It felt like only an instant until her alarm was blaring at five the next morning, startling her into wakefulness. She pulled on some scrubs and threw her hair in a ponytail before she dragged herself down into her office to start the day’s work. She wasn’t aware that she had dozed off at her desk until a voice prodded her awake again.

“Long night, Doc?” 

Rey lifted her head up blearily from the pile of medical records and financial reports on her desk to see Rose approaching her with a mug of hot tea.

“Rose, you’re an angel,” Rey croaked and sipped the tea sleepily.

“Your long night wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with a handsome stranger from yesterday, would it?” Rose’s eyes gleamed mischievously as Rey choked on her tea.

“Angel status revoked,” Rey coughed out.

“You two seemed to have a lot to talk about. In your office. Behind closed doors,” Rose prodded suggestively.

“If by talking, you mean screaming at each other, then yes. I had plenty to say to Supreme Prima Donna Kylo Ren,” Rey said dryly. 

“Seems like he still might have more to say,” Rose winked and handed Rey a business card. “I found this in the mailbox on my way in.”

Rey snorted disdainfully when she saw “Kylo Ren, CEO, First Order Veterinary Corporation” embossed on the little black card in red metallic lettering. When she flipped the card over, she blushed a deep red. Written on the back in beautiful silver calligraphy was a phone number and the words, “Don’t be afraid; I feel it, too.”

Rose giggled devilishly until Rey threw a ball of crumpled paper at her with a scowl. Rose neatly dodged it and slipped out of the office before erupting in another fit of laughter. 

Rey buried Kylo Ren’s business card deep in her desk drawer, but she couldn’t put the man out of her mind as she rushed around the clinic that day. She tried to convince herself that it was just his aggravating behavior and the threat to her practice that kept him in her thoughts. But when she remembered how his tailored suit hugged his broad frame and the way his eyes burned when he removed his designer shades, she knew it was more than that.

As if Rey’s brain had conjured him from thin air, Kylo Ren appeared in the lobby just as she was about to see her last appointment. He looked as infuriatingly attractive as ever when he approached her. 

Mindful of the clients in the vicinity, Rey hissed quietly, “I thought I told you to get out.”

“I think we got off on the wrong foot,” he said smoothly, almost apologetically. “I’d like a word, if you don’t mind.”

Rey took a deep breath and nodded reluctantly, knowing she couldn’t trust herself to speak civilly to the man in front of her. She couldn’t afford to cause a scene in the lobby of her own clinic.

“Finn,” she said, never taking her eyes off Kylo Ren. “Have Mr. Ren wait in my office… where he can’t bother my clients.”

Reveling in the knowledge that she was making Kylo Ren wait, Rey took her time with her last appointment: a box of feisty orange kittens. She picked up each kitten and examined it carefully, declaring each one her favorite in turn. 

“You better watch out,” she smiled at the couple who owned the kittens, “Or I might just keep them all.”

After Rey had thoroughly snuggled each of the little cats and chatted extensively with their owners, she begrudgingly admitted to herself that it was time to face Kylo Ren. She sighed deeply, trudged to her office, and willed herself to open the door. She was not prepared for the sight that greeted her.

Kylo Ren lounged comfortably in her office chair with his feet on her desk, engrossed in the financial reports she had printed off that morning. He gazed up at her over the reports, not even having the decency to look ashamed that he was rifling through her accounting books. Rey slammed the office door behind her.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Rey growled as she snatched the papers out of his hands.

“Research,” he answered nonchalantly.

“You have no right to come in here and pry into my business!” she shouted. “I own this clinic.”

“But for how long?” he replied calmly.

Rey narrowed her eyes and snapped, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means,” he responded clinically, “that your financial situation is dire. I give you two months at most before this place goes under and becomes mine.”

Rey felt like a bucket of cold water had been emptied over her. She knew that the business wasn’t in good shape when Luke handed it over to her; that much had been clear from the moment she cracked the accounting books. But two months? That didn’t give her much time to turn things around.

“Get out of my damn chair so I can yell at you properly, you monster,” Rey spat. 

Kylo Ren promptly granted her wish and stood. He towered over her silently, but Rey wasn’t intimidated. She had dealt with bullies before.

“You listen to me, Kylo Ren,” Rey barked, “I don’t know what your problem is with me, but this stops now. This is my clinic, and I know what I’m doing.”

Kylo Ren stepped forward then and Rey instinctively gave ground. When she bumped into the wall, he placed his hands on either side of her head, effectively pinning her to the wall. The action caused his sleeves to ride up a bit and she could just see a trace of tattoo ink on his forearms peeking out.

“No, you listen, Rey,” his deep voice rang out with an intensity that made Rey shiver, “It doesn’t have to be like this. You don’t have to scratch out a living because you charge clients too little and pay staff too much. You need a teacher. I can show you how to run a business.”

“Not if you were the last man on earth.” She leaned forward slightly, her lips a hair’s breadth from his. His intoxicating scent once again overwhelmed her senses. As she locked her gaze with his, his pupils expanded, swallowing his brown irises with their darkness. 

The door to Rey’s office burst open, and Finn came charging in. Kylo Ren stepped back from Rey as Finn shifted his gaze rapidly from one to the other. 

“Rey! What the hell is going on here? I heard shouting! Is this guy bothering you again?” Finn asked protectively.

“Actually, Mr. Ren was just leaving,” Rey’s voice trembled as she fought to regain control of her raging emotions.

Kylo Ren turned abruptly away from Rey and shouldered past Finn through the doorway. Rey shoved down the perverse twinge of disappointment that surfaced when he left without saying a word.

***

The rest of the week flew by in a cyclone of chaos, despite the absence of Kylo Ren. When she wasn’t seeing clients and their pets, she was returning phone calls, updating patient medical records, balancing the accounting books, maintaining equipment, and training her team. Because she was the only vet for miles, she also had to get up in the middle of the night to see emergencies. As a result, by the end of the week, Rey had hardly eaten, slept, or been outside the clinic. 

“Seriously, Doc, you need to get out and blow off some steam, or you’re going to explode,” Rose scolded in the middle of an emergency C-section on Friday afternoon. 

“I know, Rose. I know, but what am I supposed to do? I’m only one person, and they need me.” Rey nodded toward the bulldog on the surgery table in front of her. 

“You need to take care of yourself, too,” Rose said gently.

“But who would want to miss out on this?” Rey said stubbornly as she delivered the first puppy. Awe gleamed in her eyes as she held the new life in the palm of her hand. 

“Promise me you’ll do something besides work this weekend,” Rose said firmly as she took the puppy from Rey. 

Rey sighed, seeing the resolve in Rose’s eyes. “I promise.”

Rey had only been off work for forty-five minutes before she started cursing her promise to Rose. Her regret began the exact moment she stepped into the coffee shop down the street from the clinic and overheard a tall man ordering a large black coffee from the barista. She would know that deep voice anywhere, even without the well-fitting suit and the luscious black locks. Rey probably should have turned around and walked out the door right then, but she absolutely refused to let Kylo Ren interfere with her time off. 

After the barista took his order, he stepped back from the counter and collided with Rey. She instinctively reached her arm out to steady herself, grabbing onto Kylo Ren’s bicep. The firm musculature beneath her fingers was impossible to miss. The contact sent a bolt of electricity through her, and she snatched her hand away. She stumbled backwards, glaring at him. He looked surprised, but quickly schooled his features into a blank mask.

“Coffee run? Given the state of your business, I’m not sure you can afford it,” he said nastily. 

“Don’t you have someone else to bother?” Rey snapped defensively. 

“Not really,” he shrugged. 

“How is it that the CEO of First Order Veterinary Corporation has nothing better to do than to pick on one veterinary clinic in the middle of nowhere, Minnesota? What’s your obsession with this place anyway?” Rey asked bitterly. 

“Luke didn’t tell you.” It wasn’t a question. 

“Tell me what?” Rey asked, narrowing her eyes. 

“That I worked for him in that clinic, from the time I was a kid until after I became a veterinarian. That I’m his nephew. That he fired me. Don’t you want to know what happened?” 

“I know everything I need to know about you,” Rey shot at him with venom, matching his intense stare.

“You do?” he mused, “Ah, you do. You have that look in your eyes. From the clinic. You called me a monster.”

“You are a monster,” she said emphatically.

“Yes, I am,” he answered gruffly. Rey blinked in shock at his admission, lost for words.

The barista called out his name, and he turned away from her. Rey watched, speechless, as he grabbed his coffee and hurried out the door. 

She angrily shoved down the impulse to follow him and instead ordered her favorite blended tea drink to celebrate making it through her very first week as a veterinarian. Only now, Rey didn’t feel like celebrating. Disgusted that Kylo Ren had ruined her mood once again, she stomped back to her little apartment above the clinic.

Rey spent the rest of the evening wrapped in a blanket, her analytical mind turning over the information that Kylo Ren had revealed at the coffee shop. Things that had been nagging her about her situation started to make more sense. Things like Luke’s reluctance to train her and his insistence that she not sell to First Order Veterinary Corporation. Kylo Ren’s obsession with gaining control of the clinic and his anger that Luke had given her the clinic in the first place. 

Everything was suddenly falling into place in her brain, and she started to wonder what she had gotten herself into. How could she learn the ropes without a mentor? How could she keep her business afloat with Kylo Ren breathing down her neck? How was she going to make it through another week like this one? 

She had a sinking feeling she knew why Luke had looked so tired when she met him at the airport. Tears started to leak from Rey’s eyes, despite her best efforts to hold them back. She had never considered that living out her dream of being a veterinarian would be so difficult. 

Before she could start to sob, Chewie, Artoo, and Threepio came to her rescue. Chewie wagged his tail and licked the tears from her cheeks, while Artoo and Threepio settled in her lap and purred. She wrapped an arm around the big dog’s neck, holding on for dear life. 

Not knowing what else to do, Rey grabbed her phone from the bedside table and found Luke’s number in her contacts. She didn’t feel like she could call Rose, Finn, or Poe. She was supposed to be their fearless leader, not some crying little girl. Besides, it was their day off, and she didn’t want them to worry.

Luke was a veterinarian; he would understand what she was going through. He picked up after the third ring.

“Luke? It’s Rey, from the vet clinic. I was hoping we could talk,” she sniffled.

“What’s going on, Rey?” Luke asked.

Rey hesitated, wondering how he would react to what she planned to say. 

“I think I’m in over my head. The clinic’s been so busy, and I’m still training in new staff. First Order Veterinary Corporation is already hounding me to sell, and it’s only my first week.”

“You’re not going to sell to those soulless corporate assholes, are you?” Luke bellowed.

“No, I’m not,” Rey said emphatically, “but the CEO mentioned something to me, and I wanted to ask you about it. He said that he used to work for you, that he’s your nephew and you fired him. Is it true?”

Luke sighed, “Yes, it’s true. I hired Ben Solo as an associate straight out of vet school.” 

Rey furrowed her brow in confusion. “Ben Solo? I was talking about Kylo Ren.” 

“They are one and the same. He was born Ben Solo, but when he left to join the corporate world, he took the name Kylo Ren,” Luke said gruffly.

“What happened?” Rey asked, afraid of what she would hear.

“I thought I could train him, mold him into a good veterinarian, but I was wrong. He was arrogant, irritable, and unpredictable. One night when he was on call, he assaulted a client. The client dropped the charges, but I had to let him go.”

Rey was speechless. Her stomach dropped as Luke continued. “Whatever you do, Rey, stay away from Ben Solo. He’s dangerous.”

It was a long time before Rey settled down enough to sleep, surrounded by the warmth of her animals.

Rey awoke in a haze as the emergency phone rang at four o’clock Saturday morning. She had been dreaming of Kylo Ren (or was it Ben Solo?) spooning her in bed, his hand splayed across her bare stomach. It had felt very real and oddly comforting, which only served to confuse and annoy her. Shaking her head, she attempted to scatter fragments of her dreams from her mind as she took the call. 

It was a young woman named Melissa, whose Yorkie, Charlie, had gotten his paw shut in a door. Rey could hear the little dog yelping in pain in the background. Concerned about a fracture, Rey recommended the woman bring her dog in right away. 

Back in her scrubs, Rey was warming up the X-ray machine when the door chime announced the arrival of Melissa and Charlie. Rey hurried to the lobby and warmly greeted her client and her patient. Observing that both the woman and her dog were shaking uncontrollably, she slung an arm around Melissa’s shoulders and guided her into an exam room.

Rey gently took Charlie from Melissa’s arms and cradled the little fellow to her chest. She spoke calmly as she examined him, hoping to reassure both her patient and her client. After noting the swelling in Charlie’s right front paw, she told Melissa that Charlie needed an X-ray to see if his foot was broken. 

Ten minutes later, Rey found herself in a lead vest, snuggling Charlie and looking at the X-ray of his right leg. Two of the bones in his foot were fractured, and he would need a cast to heal. Rey went to break the news to Melissa, who burst into tears upon hearing the word “broken”. 

“This is all my fault!” Melissa sobbed, “I got out of bed to use the bathroom, and I didn’t realize he was following me. It was dark, so I didn’t know he was there when I closed the door. I’m so sorry, Charlie!”

“Melissa, it was an accident; these things happen,” Rey soothed. “Once we give him some pain medicine and get him in a cast, he’ll feel much better. And in eight weeks, he’ll be as good as new.”

Melissa visibly relaxed upon hearing Rey’s soft words. “So you mean he’s going to be okay?”

“Of course he will be; I’m going to take very good care of him,” Rey answered with a reassuring smile. “Why don’t you have a seat in the lobby while I get him all set? It’ll take about half an hour, and I want you to be comfortable while you wait.”

Rey was as good as her word. Thirty minutes later, Charlie was back in Melissa’s arms, sporting a blue cast that Rey had decorated with red hearts. Once Rey was sure Melissa knew how to give Charlie his pain medication and keep his cast dry, she walked them to the door. 

Even though she had hardly slept, Rey was too keyed up to go back to sleep. Besides, the sun was dawning on what promised to be a very hot day, and Rey wanted to get a run in before the heat became overwhelming. Rey changed into her running shorts and a sports bra and headed out the door with Chewie’s leash in her hand. 

She jogged down Main Street, enjoying the fluid movement of her limbs as she warmed up. Turning toward the lake, she picked up the pace, excited to watch the sun rise over the water with Chewie. She had just started down the tree-lined path through the lakeside park when Chewie started barking happily and pulling on his leash. 

“What is it, Chewie?” Rey puffed, “Did you see a squirrel?” 

Rey stopped dead in her tracks as soon as she recognized the other jogger rounding a bend in the path ahead of her. 

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” she breathed. Of course, the only other soul out for some early morning exercise had to be the one person she didn’t want to see: Kylo Ren. 

To be more exact, a very shirtless Kylo Ren, as he wore nothing but a pair of low-slung basketball shorts, sunglasses, and running shoes. The word sculpted felt like an understatement to Rey as she took in his gleaming chest, abs, and hip bones. His thick, powerful legs pumped as he moved up the path toward her, and Rey stood frozen in place. 

At that moment, Chewie strained hard against his leash, tugging it out of Rey’s hand. The huge Irish Wolfhound leapt forward, charging full speed toward Kylo Ren. 

Rey shouted desperately, “Chewie! Get back here right now!”

But it was too late. The giant dog had bounded up to him, playfully placing his paws on Kylo Ren’s shoulders and licking his face. Rey’s eyes widened, uncertain of how he would react to Chewie’s affections.

“Well, aren’t you a handsome boy?” he said in the sweetest “doggie voice” she had ever heard, and her mouth gaped in shock. Her jaw dropped even further when he started rubbing the dog’s ears and laughed lightly. She could swear she had stumbled into an alternate universe.

The moment was broken when Kylo Ren looked up to find Rey staring at him in shock. He gently took Chewie’s paws from his shoulders, and placed them on the ground. Remembering herself, Rey jogged up to the man and grabbed ahold of Chewie’s leash. She braced herself, wondering what awful words would come tumbling out of his wicked mouth. 

“I’d rather not do this now,” she said with a defeated sigh.

“Yeah, me too,” he said flatly, removing his sunglasses.

As soon as his gaze locked with hers, her steamy dreams about him came flooding back. Rey hoped the fact that her skin was flushed from her run hid the heat that rushed to her face. 

“Do you have something- a shirt or something you can put on?” she stammered, clearly flustered.

“Do you?” he asked with a raised eyebrow, his gaze sweeping down her body. She crossed her arms over her stomach, suddenly feeling exposed. 

“I’d be more worried about yourself right now. I’m surprised you’re willing to show your face around here after what you did, Ben Solo,” Rey said, hoping to deflect his attention. 

“Did Luke tell you what happened that night at the clinic, the night that he fired me?” he asked. 

“Yes,” Rey said forcefully. 

“No,” Kylo Ren stated bitterly, “He’d seen my prowess growing, both as a doctor and as a businessman. He was jealous of my success. One night when I was on a call, a client hit his own dog in front of me. I pushed him against the wall. That’s all Luke needed to fire me, never mind that the client was an asshole and I was valuable to the practice.”

“Liar,” Rey said weakly, overwhelmed by the information she had just received. Maybe Luke wasn’t as blameless as she thought. 

Kylo Ren stepped forward, so close that Rey was once again bathed in his delectable scent. She could almost taste him as he tilted his head down toward her. She wondered if he was going to kiss her. She wondered if she was going to let him. She shivered as he spoke huskily. “Let the past die. Kill it if you have to. It’s the only way you can become what you were meant to be.”

As Kylo Ren uttered his cryptic words, Rey watched his plush lips moving and felt heat beginning to pool in her abdomen. She chanced a glance up into his eyes, and almost gasped at the intensity she saw mirrored there. She reached her hand out to touch his cheek, and Chewie decided that was the perfect moment to jump up and lick their faces, puncturing their private bubble. 

Rey stepped back and suddenly the knowledge that she had almost kissed her nemesis inundated her mind. Realizing that she was in over her head, she turned around swiftly and took off running, dragging a reluctant Chewie behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to my readers for leaving comments and kudos! You keep me motivated. <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please mind the tags for this chapter! There is some sexually explicit material in this chapter. There is also a detailed description of animal euthanasia. Both are going to be important for the story, but if either is triggering for you, please hold off on reading this.

Back in her apartment, Rey made sure the water was turned all the way to cold before she stepped into the shower. She hoped the frigid cascade would cool her lust and clear her head. She had been dangerously close to giving in to her desires in the park, and she didn’t know what that meant. 

On the one hand, Kylo Ren was an arrogant asshole for trying to take over her practice. He had insulted her in front of her clients and snooped into her finances. Every chance he had, he harassed and bullied her. That made him her enemy, didn’t it?

On the other hand, Rey was almost sympathetic to his desire to take back what his uncle had denied him. He’d been so sweet with Chewy, and Rey could see glimpses of the one-time Dr. Ben Solo shining through the cracks in his mask. She could no longer deny that she was hopelessly attracted to the man, despite her best efforts to squash her feelings. 

Rey pounded the wall of the shower with her fist and screamed in exasperation. She was no closer to figuring out what to do about her situation, and now she was cold, too. 

She dressed in sweatpants and her favorite oversized sweatshirt, hoping to find some warmth and comfort. She didn’t dare leave the clinic again, since Kylo Ren seemed to turn up every time she did. Flopping down on her bed instead, she pulled out her favorite book and started to read, planning to lose her troubles in its pages. 

She had hardly read more than a few paragraphs before her eyes slid past words and she began to fantasize about Kylo Ren’s alter-ego Ben Solo. After their meeting in the park today, it was easy to imagine him naked, his head between her legs as his eyes burned with passion. She could practically smell his exquisite fragrance, a bouquet of sandalwood, mint, and soap. She could almost hear his resonant hums of satisfaction as his mouth met her burning center.

Unable to resist any longer, Rey snuck her hand past the waistband of her sweatpants, glad she hadn’t bothered to put on underwear after her ineffective cold shower. She slid her finger along her dripping center, envisioning his tongue massaging the soft flesh there. Trailing her hand upward, she pictured his tongue circling her swollen bud as her finger made the motion. At the thought of his lips closing around around the little bundle of nerves, she reached her climax, softly moaning out Ben’s name. 

Momentarily sated by her forbidden fantasy, Rey let exhaustion claim her. She slept until well past noon, waking once again to the shrill ringing of the emergency phone. Much to the displeasure of her animals, she rolled toward the phone and answered it with her usual greeting. 

“Hello, this is Dr. Rey. How can I help you?”

“Oh, Dr. Rey. Thank God,” the distressed man on the other end of the line said. “My mother’s cat, Lucy, has been sick all week, and now she’s not getting up.”

“Bring her right in so I can take a look at her,” Rey responded, already combing through possible diagnoses in her mind. 

A few minutes later, Rey was dressed in fresh scrubs, waiting anxiously in the lobby for the cat and her owners to arrive. She didn’t have to wait long before she saw a van pull up to the front of the clinic. The sliding door opened and a ramp extended. Shortly afterward, a man got out of the driver’s seat to retrieve an elderly woman in a wheelchair from inside the van.

Rey held the door for them as they entered the clinic, noting the oxygen tank mounted on the wheelchair that provided air to the elderly woman. In her lap, the gray-haired lady held a very sad looking tortoiseshell cat that had to be Lucy. The man introduced himself as Dale, and the woman told Rey to call her Grandma Cookie.

Dale wheeled Grandma Cookie and Lucy into an exam room. Rey looked the cat over thoroughly, noticing she was pale, dehydrated, and had sores in her mouth. Rey recommended running tests to check Lucy’s organ function, in order to determine how best to help her.

Half an hour later, Rey was staring at the printout of the test results, worrying her lower lip with her teeth. Lucy was in kidney failure, and she would need intensive treatment both in the clinic and at home to have a chance at getting well. When Rey told Dale and Grandma Cookie the results, the older woman immediately started to cry. Rey put her hand on Grandma Cookie’s shoulder and watched Dale fight back tears. 

“Do you need a minute to talk about all of this?” Rey asked gently.

“No,” Dale said, looking at Grandma Cookie, “We know what we have to do.”

Rey heart sank at his next words. “We’ll have to put her down. It’s just not fair to Lucy to put her through all that, knowing she might not even get better.”

“I understand. I know you have to do what’s best for Lucy,” Rey said compassionately. “I’ll let you spend some time alone with her and check back in a little bit.”

Rey stepped out of the exam room quietly and closed the door behind her. Her shoulders sagged and she trudged to the treatment room to prepare what she needed to release Lucy from her suffering. While she had been present for many euthanasias during her training, Rey had never performed one on her own. It felt surreal to be the one causing death when she had entered into the profession to save lives.

Rey mournfully gathered the supplies she would need, wondering how she would find the strength to do what Dale and Grandma Cookie had asked of her. Taking a deep breath, Rey opened the door to the exam room to see how her clients were faring. She nodded silently when they told her they were ready and that they’d like to take Lucy home afterward to bury her. 

Numbly, Rey wrapped Lucy comfortably in a blanket before placing an IV in her front leg. 

Grandma Cookie petted Lucy and told the cat simply, “Thank you for being my friend.”

Rey’s heart twisted in her chest, and Dale nodded for her to continue. Her vision blurred with tears as she injected the medication that would help put Lucy to rest. By the time the syringe was empty, Lucy had peacefully gone limp. Rey stroked the cat’s head and listened for a heartbeat with her stethoscope. It took all of her strength to look into Grandma Cookie’s tearful eyes and tell her that Lucy had passed. 

After a few minutes, Rey gathered Lucy’s body into her arms, wrapping the blanket carefully around the cat’s furry form. She led the way as Dale followed, pushing the sobbing Grandma Cookie in her wheelchair. 

Once they had driven away, Rey’s emotions broke through her control like water crashing through a dam. All the sadness of the previous hour swamped her, and she wrapped her arms around her torso as pain lanced through her heart. Tears flowing freely, she made her way to the kennel where Chewie was resting. She opened the door and crawled inside with him, curling into a miserable ball against his warm side. 

Rey was so distraught that she didn’t realize that she had forgotten to lock the front door, nor did she register the sound of the door chime from the front of the clinic. 

As she cried her heart out into the shaggy dog’s side, she said, “I’ve never felt so alone.”

“You’re not alone,” a deep voice said gently. She would know that voice anywhere.

She raised her head slowly and turned her tear-stained face to the man who haunted both her waking and sleeping hours, the former Dr. Ben Solo. Despite the fact that he was dressed in his customary suit and tie, something was different about him. The change was almost tangible in the air between them. He wasn’t looking at her like a predator studying its prey; he was looking at her with intense compassion. Rey’s breath caught in her throat at softness in his gaze. 

“I used to feel the same way when I worked here,” Ben explained. “Even though I was around people all day, I was lonely. It was hard being the person everyone looked to for a miracle. When I couldn’t provide it, people were either crushed or cruel. I started to feel like it was all my fault. I know what you’re going through, Rey. You’re not alone.”

“Neither are you,” Rey responded softly.

He hesitated only a moment before he knelt in front of Rey, despite his expensive clothing. He reached out his hand toward her, and she mirrored him with her own trembling hand until their fingertips touched. Rey’s hazel eyes found Ben’s brown ones, and she saw only empathy reflected within them. 

Scooting closer, he slid one arm beneath her knees and one beneath her shoulders and pulled her into his lap. He cradled her against his chest as she wept into his shirt. Rey closed her eyes and shivered when he pressed his lips to her temple. 

“Is this okay?” he asked. She nodded in response, not trusting herself to speak. 

He kissed her cheek and said, “What about this?” She nodded again. 

When he went to place a kiss at the corner of her mouth, Rey turned her head slightly, capturing his plush lips full-on. They both froze momentarily, unsure of themselves. 

As Rey started to move her mouth against his, he responded, gently caressing her lips with his own. Their kiss was sweet and soft at first, but quickly became more urgent as their caged passion broke free. When the tip of Rey’s tongue slid along the seam of Ben’s lips, he parted them and moaned hungrily into her mouth. 

Rey shifted her position so she was straddling his lap, allowing her to deepen their kiss unencumbered. He wrapped his arms tightly around her back as she slid her hands into his silky black hair. Their tongues danced harmoniously together as they explored each other’s mouths. It was Rey’s turn to moan when Ben gently bit her bottom lip. She ground her pelvis against his in response, feeling a growing hardness press against her center.

Overwhelmed by the sensation of Ben crushed against her, she failed once again to hear the door chime. It wasn’t until she heard an angry voice that she realized they weren’t alone in the clinic. 

“Stop! I thought I told you to stay away from him!” 

Rey rapidly detached herself from Ben, and they both stood to face an incensed Luke Skywalker. Already flushed from kissing Ben, Rey’s color deepened at being caught in such a compromising position. 

“What I do with my private life is none of your business, Luke!” Rey shouted.

“He offered you something you needed, and you didn’t even try to stop yourself,” Luke said with disgust. 

“Why would she need to stop herself?” Ben asked, a dangerous glint in his eye.

“Because you’re unstable and violent! You proved that to me a long time ago,” Luke snarled.

“You’re wrong about him!” Rey snapped, tired of being treated like a misbehaving child. 

“This is not going to go the way you think,” Luke told Rey. 

“He’s a good person; you were just too jealous of him to see it,” Rey shot back.

Luke was visibly stung by her words, but it was to Ben that he spoke instead. “I failed you, Ben. I’m sorry.”

“I’m sure you are!” Ben shouted with venom, “This clinic is failing. It’s over! And when I take ownership of the business, I will have taken what was mine all along!”

Rey turned to face Ben, hurt written all over her features. “You just… You just came here today to try to take over the clinic?”

She had never felt so betrayed and so foolish. She clearly meant nothing to Ben; she was just a pawn in the feud between Ben and Luke over ownership of the clinic. Their kiss had just been a way for Ben to get the upper hand on Luke. 

“Rey! No, I-” Ben reached for her, and she flinched back from his touch. Chewie growled menacingly from behind Rey.

“Get out!” she yelled, pointing toward the door. “Both of you!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to my beta bellestar for helping me whip this fic into shape. 
> 
> Thank you, readers, for giving time to this story and leaving comments and kudos.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mind the rating and the tags! This chapter does feature some rather sexually explicit material. Smutmuffins ahead!!!

When Rey awoke Sunday morning, her eyes were red and puffy from crying herself to sleep. It was moments like these when she cursed her upbringing. With her parents dead, she had ended up in the foster system. After being shuffled from place to place with her meager belongings stuffed into a garbage bag, she quickly learned that she could rely only on herself. 

Although her childhood taught her strength and independence, she never learned how to ask for help. She knew she didn’t want to be alone right now, but being vulnerable was hard. As a result, she had been staring blankly at her phone for ten minutes, trying to find the courage to call Rose. 

“This is stupid,” Rey grumbled and dialed Rose. 

“Hey Doc! What’s going on?” Rose chirped.

“Things are kind of messed up right now,” Rey admitted tearfully. 

“What’s wrong?” Rose asked, her concern evident.

“It’s a long story, Rose. Any chance you can come over?” Rey inquired hopefully. 

“Hang in there, Doc. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

Twenty minutes later, Rey unlocked the back door for Rose. The woman held a cloth grocery bag in her hand. Catching Rey’s curious stare, Rose winked and said she brought supplies. Rose surprised Rey by pulling her into a tight hug. Rey clung to her for a moment, trying not to cry. When Rose released her, Rey led the way upstairs into her apartment.

When they reached the top of the stairs, Rey realized she had nowhere for her guest to sit, since she couldn’t even fit a loveseat into the little studio above the clinic. When Rey started to apologize, Rose waved her words away, saying she was fine with sharing a seat on the bed. 

Rey smiled as they climbed onto her queen-sized bed, resting their backs against the headboard with Rose’s mysterious bag between them. Rose reached into the bag and pulled out two pints of double chocolate brownie ice cream and a couple of spoons. 

“Now, we’re ready,” Rose said with satisfaction. “Spill!”

Between bites of ice cream, the story tumbled out of Rey’s mouth. Rose squealed loudly when Rey told her about seeing Ben shirtless in the park. 

“That’s not all,” Rey said, covering her face with her hands. “He showed up at the clinic, and we sort of… kissed.”

Rose screamed in delight, “I knew it! Oh my god! Was it amazing?”

“It was pretty amazing until Luke caught us,” Rey said regretfully.

Rose gasped, “That cockblocker! I’ll fight him.”

“The two of them totally lost their shit. Ben as good as said he was still after my clinic. It was so bad I ended up kicking both of them out,” Rey sniffled as a tear rolled down her cheek. 

Rose reached over and pulled Rey in a one-armed side hug. “Holy shit, you weren’t kidding about things being messed up. What are you going to do? I mean, besides remembering to lock the door.”

Rey laughed through her tears and then shrugged. “I don’t know what to do, Rose.”

“Well, I think the first step is helping you feel better,” Rose said as she reached into the grocery bag and pulled out a bag of nail polish and the latest issue of Cosmopolitan. 

Rose proceeded to give Rey a manicure as she read Cosmo’s “18 Ways to Please Your Man” out loud in a scandalous voice. Rey was giggling helplessly by number fifteen, and the tight feeling in her chest was loosening. 

“Finn, Poe, and I are going to a concert out of town tonight. You should come with us! It would be good for you to get out,” Rose wheedled. 

“That sounds wonderful, Rose, but I don’t think I’m up for it tonight. I’m pretty much spent.” Rey’s reply was punctuated with a wide yawn. 

“Let me know if you change your mind. We’re leaving around three,” Rose informed Rey. 

Rey thanked Rose again for the invitation and walked with her to the back door. She watched as Rose drove away, thankful that she had found such a wonderful friend. 

Rey went back upstairs and fell into bed, exhaustion washing over her like a tidal wave. Artoo laid in his customary position on her chest, while Threepio stretched out across her legs. Chewie curled up beside her, a comforting warmth against her side. She fell into a dreamless sleep, resting more peacefully than she had since arriving in Endor. 

She woke to Artoo pawing at her face, which was the cat’s special way of getting her attention. 

“What is it, buddy?” Rey asked sleepily. 

She glanced at her phone, noting that it was already after four o’clock in the afternoon. Rey sat up in bed, jostling a grumpy croak from Threepio, who was still sleeping on her legs. She called for Chewie and waited for the dog to come to her. When he didn’t appear, she frowned. That was unusual; he always came when she called. 

Worried, she got out of bed to look for him. It didn’t take her long to find the Irish Wolfhound curled up in the bathtub, panting.

“Chewie, what are you doing in there?” she asked, her frown deepening. 

Running her hands over him, she noticed his abdomen was hard and distended. When he retched and nothing came up, alarm bells went off in her medical mind. He looked like a classic case of what her professors called gastric dilatation and volvulus, or GDV, where a dog’s stomach flips and expands to painful proportions. 

Rey tried to get Chewie up, so she could take him downstairs and X-ray him to confirm her suspicions. But no matter how much she begged, pushed, and pulled, he was in too much pain to move. And since Chewie weighed more than Rey, there was no way she could lift him.

Her mind raced, knowing she had to find a way to help him or he was going to die. She knew Rose, Finn, and Poe were already well on their way to their concert, and they wouldn’t be able to get back to the clinic in time. She needed an experienced surgeon, someone who had performed the surgery Chewie most likely needed. Desperate, she called Luke’s number, hoping she could convince the man to help her. 

“Luke? It’s Rey.”

“You have a lot of nerve calling me after what you did,” Luke snapped.

“Luke, just listen. I think Chewie has a GDV and my staff’s out of town. I can’t move him without your help,” she pleaded. 

“I think your behavior yesterday made it pretty clear that you don’t deserve my help,” he answered acidly.

“Damnit, Luke!” Rey shouted. “Can’t you set that aside for one second and help my dog? He’s going to die!”

“Why don’t you ask your new boyfriend to help you?” Luke snarled and hung up the phone. 

Rey stared numbly at her phone, shocked that Luke had refused her. 

Panicked, she raced downstairs to her office and wrenched open her desk drawer. She rifled through it madly until she found what she was looking for: Kylo Ren’s business card. Flipping it over, she punched in his phone number, praying that he would take her call. 

“Hello?” he answered smoothly.

“Ben? It’s Rey,” she said nervously, afraid he would hang up immediately.

“Rey? What’s wrong?” he asked.

“It’s Chewie. I think he has a GDV, but I can’t get him downstairs to X-ray him and I’ve never done the surgery before and-” Rey babbled until Ben cut her off.

“I’m on my way,” Ben said and hung up, leaving Rey to breathe a sigh of relief.

Rey opened the front door when Ben arrived and locked it behind him as he entered. Instead of his customary suit, he was in short-sleeved black scrubs that showed off the tattoos on his muscular arms. But Rey didn’t have time to admire the view.

She raced upstairs without a word, and he followed her, taking the stairs two at a time. He followed her into the bathroom, and without hesitation, he scooped all one hundred and twenty pounds of dog into his arms. Grunting, he stood up and carried Chewie down the stairs and laid him on the X-ray table. 

Rey and Ben set up the X-ray machine, working together seamlessly, as if they had been side-by-side for years. They donned lead vests and snapped the X-ray, and Rey paced impatiently while they waited for it to finish processing. When the X-ray popped up on the computer screen, it showed the tell-tale signs of a GDV. 

“Fuck,” Rey muttered. Chewie needed emergency surgery. 

Ben carried the giant dog from the X-ray room to the table where they would prep him for surgery. Rey grabbed an IV and, as Ben held Chewie, she carefully slid the needle into Chewie’s vein and secured it in place. After double-checking her drug doses, Rey anxiously gave the injection to anesthetize her dog. Chewie lost consciousness almost immediately, and Rey quickly intubated him. 

Once Rey had shaved Chewie’s belly, Ben once again lifted him, this time carrying him to the surgery table. Rey hooked Chewie up to the anesthesia machine and the monitors, and she carefully checked the dog’s vital signs. 

“How’s he doing?” Ben asked, and Rey realized it was the first time he’d spoken since he walked in the door.

“He’s stable,” she said, scratching his head, “High heart rate, but that’s to be expected.”

Ben nodded. “Glad to hear it. Let’s finish getting prepped then.”

They took turns scrubbing in, and helped each other into their surgical gowns. Once their hands were gloved, they went to stand on opposite sides of the surgery table. Rey picked up a scalpel, but her hands were shaking so badly that she was afraid to make the incision. 

“Here, let me,” Ben said gently, wrapping his hand around hers to take the scalpel from her. 

Rey watched as Ben expertly made the cut to open Chewie’s abdomen. His bloated stomach immediately bulged up through the opening. Ben and Rey worked together to untwist the huge dog’s stomach and check the spleen for damage. Rey exhaled gratefully when she realized that they had caught it early enough to prevent any organ damage from occurring. Chewie was going to be okay.

“Now we have to tack the stomach to the abdominal wall,” Ben instructed. “I’ll hold it in place while you suture.”

With Ben’s guidance, Rey was able to securely sew Chewie’s stomach to the inside of his abdomen to prevent his stomach from flipping again. Once that was finished, Ben and Rey took turns closing the enormous incision, layer by layer. Exhausted but pleased, Rey turned off the anesthesia machine and stroked Chewie’s head.

Rey stayed by Chewie’s side, watching the monitors anxiously while Ben cleaned up the surgery suite around her. By the time Ben was finished, Chewie was starting to wake up. Ben carefully held the dog on the table while Rey pulled out his breathing tube. 

Ben lifted Chewie once again, bringing him to a large dog kennel that they had padded with blankets. Rey carefully tucked Chewie in and sat next to him. She looked up at Ben, who was smiling softly down at them. 

“Ben, I don’t know how to thank you for this,” Rey said gratefully. “After what I-”

“Rey. Stop,” Ben interrupted. “Whatever you’re going to apologize for, just don’t. I’m the one who should be sorry.”

“Then I’ll just say thank you,” Rey replied shyly. 

“You’re welcome,” Ben said. “I’m going to go wash up.”

Rey yawned widely and checked her watch. It was only seven o’clock, but already her eyelids were drooping. She felt for Chewie’s pulse again, counting his heartbeats while his chest rose and fell. Sandwiched between the kennel wall and Chewie’s back, Rey attempted to make herself comfortable. She was determined to monitor Chewie until he was fully awake.

Rey’s next conscious thought was that of Chewie’s breath on her face. She opened her eyes to find herself on the floor of a large kennel. Chewie was sitting up next to her, panting a few inches from her nose. He wagged his tail, and she patted his head. 

Rey sat up suddenly as her memory returned. She had fallen asleep in the kennel with Chewie. She checked the time: ten-thirty. It was still Sunday; she had only slept for a few hours. She noticed an empty chair facing the kennel and realized that Ben had watched over her and Chewie while they slept. But where was he now? Had he left already?

Satisfied that Chewie had recovered from his anesthesia, Rey exited the kennel to search for Ben. It wasn’t long before she heard his voice coming from the small break room in the corner of the clinic. 

“What do you think, my friends? Will she want coffee or tea?”

Rey wondered who on earth he was talking to. When she entered the break room, she couldn’t help but smile at the sight that greeted her. Ben was lying on his back on the break room floor while Artoo and Threepio vied for a spot on his chest. 

“Don’t get greedy, now. I’ve got two hands; I can pet both of you at the same time,” he commented, laughing at the cats’ antics. 

Rey’s heart squeezed in her chest. She could get used to seeing his smile and hearing his laugh. When he put a hand under each cat's chest and started bench pressing them, she erupted in a fit of giggles. He looked in her direction and grinned crookedly at her. 

He set the cats back on their feet, giving each a stroke from head to tail. When he got to his feet, Rey walked over to him and pulled him into a tight hug. He didn’t hesitate to return her affection.

Still holding him, she tilted her head up to look into his eyes. She inhaled sharply, seeing the heat behind his eyes as he leaned down to capture her lips with his own. This time, the kiss wasn’t slow or soft. It was a desperate plunge into passion, and Rey’s tongue fought with Ben’s for dominance.

She threaded her hands through his hair again, this time using her blunt nails to scratch his scalp. Ben moaned at that and slid his huge hands down to firmly cup her ass. Rey gasped into his mouth at the contact. This seemed to encourage him because he slipped his hands down further and lifted her by the base of her thighs. Instinctively, she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck.

With the improved angle, she was able to reach his neck more easily. She delicately tasted the skin from his jaw to his collarbone. His flavor was as intoxicating as his fragrance, and suddenly she couldn’t get enough. She latched onto the flesh where his neck met his collarbone, sucking hard. 

“Holy fuck, Rey!” he choked out. 

Rey hummed smugly into his neck as she felt his manhood start to harden beneath where it was lined up with her center. She gyrated her hips over him, delighting in the friction. Ben moaned and started to walk, holding her tightly against him. 

Releasing his neck, Rey panted out, “Where?”

“Office,” he grunted. She raised an eyebrow, but didn’t question him. She was too busy admiring the red mark blossoming on his neck. 

Once they reached Rey’s office, Ben set her on the desk and dropped to his knees. 

“I’ve wanted to do this since the first time I had you alone in this office,” Ben said huskily. Rey’s eyes widened as he started undoing the ties on her scrub pants, and he froze. 

“Is this okay?” he asked, waiting for her permission. 

“Yes,” she breathed out, and he resumed removing her scrub pants. She helped him, kicking off her shoes and lifting her pelvis as he slid off her pants and underwear. 

He scooted forward and eased her legs over his shoulders, gently spreading her thighs. She blushed as he examined her pink folds closely. 

“Can I taste you?” he asked hopefully, and she nodded her consent. 

He placed open mouthed kisses from the inside of her knees up to her thighs. Just before he reached her center, he sucked the skin of her thigh into his mouth. She whined with pleasure, enjoying the knowledge that he was marking her as she had marked him. 

Removing his lips from her thigh, he kissed her moist folds. His tongue slid out and he sampled her slit with an appreciative hum. He traced the tip of his tongue up to her swollen bud, circling it, teasing her. She whined desperately as tightness coiled in her abdomen, begging to be released. 

Ben obliged her, closing his plump lips over the little bundle of nerves. He sucked it into his mouth and Rey gasped, bucking her hips up into his face. She could feel him smile against her as he placed his hand over her pelvis and held her in place as he worked on her. Rey’s pleasure spiraled higher and higher as he alternated between circling her clit with the tip of his tongue and pulling it into his mouth.

When he gently pushed one finger into her opening, she thought she might burst into flame, right there on her desk. As he slid first one digit, then two, in and out of her tight heat, she threw her head back and keened. Still suckling her clit, he curled his fingers against her walls. Rey screamed out his name as she crested, the wave of pleasure completely overwhelming her. 

He gentled his ministrations as she rode out her orgasm, careful not to overstimulate her. She lay back on her desk with her legs draped over Ben’s shoulders, awash in contentment as he kissed her thighs. She crooked at finger at him lazily, signaling him to bring his face up to hers. 

Sliding her legs from his shoulders, he obeyed. She kissed him soundly, tasting her arousal on his lips. Her hands wandered to the hem of his scrub top and tugged demandingly. He got the hint and stripped off the top, once again giving Rey an eyeful of his chiseled abs, chest, and hip bones. She reached out to caress his skin, enjoying the feeling of the firm musculature beneath. 

“Fuck, you’re hot, Ben. I could look at you all day,” she purred. 

Before he had a chance to respond, she sat up and untied his scrub bottoms, watching as they fell to the floor. She eyed the bulge in his black boxer briefs as he slipped off his shoes. 

She smiled coyly and asked, “Can I?”

“Jesus, Rey, you can do whatever you want with me,” he said huskily. 

“I was hoping you’d say that,” she responded, shoving his underwear down his legs. His cock sprang out, finally free from the confines of his boxer briefs. Rey bit her lower lip as she stared with unabashed interest at its size, and it was Ben’s turn to blush. He was well-endowed, to put it mildly.

Rey slid down into her desk chair, positioning herself in front of him. She leaned forward and caressed his length with her tongue, from base to tip. His skin was silky, and his manly taste was intoxicating. She closed her lips over the little spot beneath the head of his cock and sucked gently. He responded with a gasp. 

Unable to resist any longer, Rey slipped the tip between her lips, sliding her tongue along the bottom of his shaft. He let out a strangled groan and she slid him further in. She began to stroke him slowly, coordinating the movement of her mouth with that of her hand. Ben began to pant when she started to twirl her tongue around his manhood. He reached out and cupped her cheek, stilling her movements. She released him gently and looked up into his eyes, fearful that she had done something wrong. 

“Rey,” he said throatily, “I need you. Let me make love to you.”

“I thought you’d never ask,” she answered invitingly, and Ben laughed happily. 

“Shit, Rey,” Ben said, his face falling, “I didn’t bring a condom. But I’m clean, I swear.”

“I believe you. I’m clean, too, and I have an IUD,” Rey assured him. 

“Well, that’s settled,” he responded, smiling again.

He picked Rey up from the chair as if she were a feather and set her back on the desk. She whisked her scrub top off and tossed it to join the rest of their clothes on the floor, leaving her in only a lacy green bra. Ben reached around her to unclasp the garment and then threw it over his shoulder. He stopped for a moment to gaze at her newly exposed flesh, obviously pleased with the view.

“You are so beautiful,” he breathed out.

Rey’s heart skipped a beat as he said it, and Ben leaned down to kiss her lips once again. His tongue immediately darted out to lick her upper lip, and she eagerly granted him entrance. Everywhere their bare skin made contact, she felt a tingling sensation. Hungry for more, she pulled him closer to her chest, relishing the feeling of her erect nipples grazing his pecs. 

As if Ben sensed her need, he pulled back momentarily and cupped one of Rey’s breasts in each hand. He stroked her pebbled nipples with his thumbs, and she arched into him. He dipped his head down, his curtain of black hair tickling her chest as he latched onto one of her nipples. She cried out in pleasure, and Ben hummed with satisfaction. He suckled it as she gasped and panted, and arousal began to pool at the apex of her thighs once more. 

“Please, Ben, I need you inside me,” Rey begged, unable to hold back under his sensual assault. 

Ben tucked Rey’s legs against her chest as he lined up his manhood with her entrance. He locked his gaze with hers as he slipped gently into her. She gasped as her tight heat stretched to accommodate him. He stopped at the sound, waiting until she nodded for him to continue. He slid in a bit further before he pulled back, his shaft dragging deliciously against her walls, giving them both the friction they desired.

Ben set a slow, luxurious pace, which gave Rey time to adjust to his size. When she began thrusting up to meet his strokes, he got the message. He increased his speed and drove deeper into her, leveraging his height as he pinned her to the desk. Her eyes rolled back in her head when he struck a location inside her that she couldn’t reach herself. She could tell Ben was a fast learner because he found that spot over and over. Rey moaned shamelessly each time he hit it, which only spurred him on. 

Ben was seated fully inside her when he reached a hand up to meet her breast, balancing his weight on his other hand, which was gripping the edge of the desk. He rolled her nipple between his thumb and forefinger as he pistoned into her, bringing her pleasure to new heights. She could feel her heat building in her belly again, and she tightened around Ben’s cock, making him groan with each thrust. She was so close. 

“Rey,” he said between breaths, “I’m not going to last much longer. Come for me, sweetheart.”

“Ben, please, I need more,” she begged him. 

When his hand snaked down to her clit and strummed it, Rey shouted Ben’s name over and over. He pounded into her with new intensity, and she could feel her inevitable orgasm building with increasing speed. 

She reached her climax with a series of high-pitched screams. She clenched Ben’s cock so hard that he came tumbling over the edge with her, spilling his spend inside her with a guttural roar. He continued to thrust into her until the last tremors of her orgasm subsided. 

Ben collapsed on top of her, tucking his head into the crook of her neck. She wove her hands through his hair and kissed his temple tenderly, their chests still heaving from exertion. Once they had both caught their breath, Ben pulled out of Rey gently and looked down at her lovingly. 

Rey was overwhelmed by the change in the man who stood before her. He was nothing like the cold, hard-edged Kylo Ren who had walked into her clinic a week ago. Ben was attentive, gentle, and sweet. When he said he wanted to make love to her, he had truly meant it.

He reached out his hand to hers and helped her to feet, immediately capturing her in a warm hug. She wrapped her arms around him tightly as he pressed his lips to the crown of her head. Rey couldn’t remember ever feeling so cherished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to the fabulous bellestar for betaing this little smutmuffin. Your encouragement is invaluable!
> 
> And thank you readers for giving your time to my story and for leaving kudos and comments! It makes writing that much more fun.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please mind the tags! This chapter has contains a very detailed account of attempted suicide and the depression and anxiety leading up to it. It also contains a graphic description of animal surgery, CPR, and animal death. There are mentions of cancer as well. Get out your tissues; this is a sad, angsty chapter. Hang in there! I promise that there is hope and light and a happy ending to come.

Rey smiled as she collected the clothing she and Ben had tossed aside during their passionate rendezvous. Her heart felt lighter than it had in years as she basked in the feeling of being treasured by Ben. She broke into a fit of giggles when she found her bra hanging over the floor lamp across the room from the desk. Rey dressed slowly, reluctant to let go of the moment. 

“I never thought I’d be using my office this way, but I wouldn’t mind making a habit of it with you,” she said flirtatiously to Ben’s back as he finished dressing.

Ben didn’t respond, and Rey’s levity evaporated. When she approached him, he was simply staring at the place on the wall where Luke’s framed veterinary diploma still hung. All the warmth had drained from his visage, leaving behind the cold mask she associated with Kylo Ren.

“Ben?” she asked warily.

“It’s time to let old things die. Luke’s legacy, this clinic, the small town vet bit. Let it all die,” he intoned gravely. 

“What do you mean? This is my dream, Ben! I won’t just throw that away,” Rey responded, holding back tears at his callousness.

Ben pressed on despite her distress. “Rey, I want you to join me. We could work together and take over every clinic in the country.”

“Ben, please don’t do this. Don’t go this way,” Rey pleaded as the tears rolled down her face. 

“No! You’re still holding on. Let go!” he shouted. “In this town, in this clinic, in this profession, you’re nothing.”

His savage words her deeply, opening the wounds she had hidden away since childhood. Rey began to cry in earnest.

“You’re nothing,” he continued. “But not to me. Join me.” 

Ben extended his hand to her, and she stared at his fingers and then into his eyes. He looked almost vulnerable as he awaited her response to his proposal. 

His jaw trembled slightly as he uttered, “Please.” 

Rey wanted so badly to agree, to let him whisk her away from the stress and heartache of the front lines of medicine and into the dark glamour of his life. What would it be like to share the throne in his corporate empire? She imagined how she would look on his arm at a corporate gala, dressed in a low-cut, blood-red evening gown, discussing their obscene quarterly profits with investors. 

She started to reach for his hand, but froze as she thought of what she’d be giving up. Dreaming of being a veterinarian had been what had gotten her out of bed all those awful years in foster care. She had finally graduated from veterinary school and had her own clinic. What would the animals of Endor do if she left? What about Rose, Finn, and Poe?

Then she thought of the coldness and cruelty in Ben’s words, and she dropped her hand back to her side. He didn’t really care about her; he thought she was nothing. It was all just about him gaining control of the clinic and getting revenge on Luke. 

“I think it’s time for you to leave,” Rey said quietly, desperately trying to keep her voice steady. 

Ben didn’t say a word or look back as he left the office and walked out the door of the clinic. As soon as he was out of sight, Rey locked the door, slid down to the floor, and sobbed out his name. She curled in a ball under the onslaught of heartbreak.

Rey didn’t move until a small paw nudged at her face and a furry body rubbed against her.

“Artoo?” she sniffed as she stroked the little gray cat’s head. “I made a mess of things, didn’t I? I thought when he came to help that it meant he cared about me, that I finally had somebody. But it turns out it’s just us.”

Artoo butted his head against her and purred. Threepio showed up to soothe her as well, and before long, she felt strong enough to get up.

“Let’s go see how Chewie’s doing.”

The cats followed her to Chewie’s kennel and the stoic dog was waiting patiently, sitting up and looking for all the world like he hadn’t just had major surgery. Rey felt like Chewie had the right idea. If he could pretend that Ben Solo hadn’t just cut into him, then so could she.

Rey opened the kennel door and led Chewie, Artoo, and Threepio upstairs to the apartment. Mechanically, Rey showered and got ready for bed. If she was lucky, the emergency line wouldn’t ring, and she would get to sleep for a few hours. In a habit born from a lifetime of practice, Rey shoved her grief deep down into the recesses of her heart and fell into a fitful slumber. 

Monday morning arrived far too quickly, and Rey grumbled sleepily as she silenced her alarm. She petted Artoo, Threepio, and Chewie in turn. She froze when she ran her hand lightly along Chewie’s belly, feeling the stitches along his midline. 

The events of the night before slammed into her brain. Rey pressed her hands to her head, attempting to halt her memories and the emotions that followed. She couldn’t afford to feel anything right now; she had work to do. 

Rey dressed in her favorite scrubs and put her hair up in three buns along the back of her head, hoping she looked more put together than she felt. As she brushed her teeth, she scrutinized her face in the mirror, looking for any flaw that would reveal her true state of mind. Satisfied, she headed downstairs to prepare for another busy day. 

Rose, Finn, and Poe arrived together at seven-thirty, chatting about the concert they attended the night before. Rey plastered a smile on her face and asked them how it was.

“You should have been there. I’ve been trying to get these two to a Trampled by Turtles concert for years. It was amazing!” Rose gushed. 

“Yeah, Rey, I can’t believe you passed! You missed out,” Finn agreed.

“What were you up to, anyway? Rose just said you were busy,” Poe asked.

“I had to deal with an emergency,” Rey answered nonchalantly.

“Emergency? What kind?” Rose asked curiously.

“Chewie got a GDV yesterday afternoon,” Rey replied reluctantly. She really didn’t want to relive it.

“Oh, no way!” Finn exclaimed. “Is he okay?”

Rey carefully phrased her answer. “Yes, he’s doing just fine after the surgery.”

“Well, that’s a relief,” Poe said kindly. “I don’t know what Beebee VIII would do without his buddy.”

“Thanks, everyone. We got really lucky this time. I’m just glad-” Rey halted mid sentence, realizing with horror that she’d been about to mention Ben. 

“I’m just glad he’s okay,” Rey finished lamely. 

Rose raised an eyebrow and opened her mouth to say something, but she was interrupted by the door chime. Rey’s head whipped toward the door, both dreading and hoping that Ben Solo would be waiting for her. Instead, a young woman walked into the lobby with a cat carrier in each hand. Rey greeted her first client of the day with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. 

Most Mondays in the veterinary business were busy, and this Monday was no exception. Rey rushed from appointment to appointment, doing her best to help every patient, please every client, and ignore her paranoia that Ben would appear at any moment to hound her about selling the clinic. Rey went through the motions of her work, hoping that she was succeeding in hiding the depth of pain she felt in her heart.

Her last appointment of the morning was a gruff middle-aged man named Jeff with a sweet husky mix called Sasha. Jeff told her that Sasha wasn’t eating and didn’t want to go for walks anymore. Rey carefully examined the dog, noting that her gums were extremely pale and her heart rate was high. Her medical mind whirling with possibilities, Rey asked Jeff if she could start with a blood test. 

When Jeff nodded his consent, Rey collected the blood sample she needed and went to the back room to process it. As she waited for the test to run, she put a drop of Sasha’s blood on a glass slide and examined it under the microscope. She knew immediately something was very wrong, but she clung to the hope that the results from the blood test would tell her something different. 

When the results came out of the printer, Rey swore quietly. The numbers on the paper and the cells on under the microscope told an unmistakable story. Sasha had leukemia. Printout in hand, Rey stepped back into the exam room to deliver the message to Jeff. 

“Jeff, I have some difficult news to give you. I’m very sorry to say that Sasha has leukemia,” Rey said compassionately. 

“Leukemia? But she’s so young! You must be wrong,” Jeff wailed in disbelief. 

Rey answered calmly, hoping to soothe her client. “I can understand your feelings, Jeff. I know it’s difficult to hear, but I can tell you that this cancer is common in dogs Sasha’s age. I’m happy to send her results to a specialist, if that would help you feel more comfortable.” 

“I can’t afford a second opinion! I thought you could help me, but it sounds like you’re not going to do anything but take my money!” Jeff shouted as he stood. 

Ignoring the slight, Rey took a deep breath and responded. “I didn’t say that. I’m happy to help you and Sasha as much as I can. If a referral isn’t an option, there are still some affordable treatments that we can try here at the clinic to make Sasha more comfortable.”

“More comfortable? You mean you can’t fix her! What kind of a doctor are you, anyway? Don’t you care about animals at all?” Jeff shot at her. 

The words hit Rey like a sucker punch. She had dedicated her time, her money, her life to caring for animals. How could he say she didn’t care?

“I understand your feelings, Jeff, and I’m truly sorry that something so terrible happened to Sasha. If you decide later that you want to pursue treatment, please call and let me know what I can do to help,” Rey said as diplomatically as possible.

She opened the door to the lobby, and Jeff stomped out, not even stopping at the front desk to pay his bill. Finn stood to follow him, but Rey stopped him with a shake of her head. She didn’t have the emotional strength to absorb anymore of his bile right now.

Rey didn’t feel at all hungry, despite the fact that it was time for her lunch break, so she decided to catch up on paperwork in her office. That was a mistake, given what had happened the last time she was in that particular room. Memories of Ben assaulted her mercilessly, and the entire night played on repeat in her head. All it took was seeing his business card on her desk, and her heart broke all over again. 

Collapsing into her chair, Rey laid her head on her desk and sobbed silently. Ben had used her in the worst way possible to get to her clinic. And now, she had let down a client, despite her best efforts to help him. She had never felt more worthless in her life. She was wiping her eyes on her sleeve and pulling herself back together for her afternoon appointments when Rose found her. 

“You okay, Doc?” Rose asked with concern, putting her hand on Rey’s shoulder.

“Yeah, Rose. I’m fine. Just not over my scare with Chewie, I guess,” Rey sniffled.

“But it’s more than that, isn’t it? In the lobby this morning, you were about to say something, and you stopped yourself,” Rose commented. Rey saw Rose’s eyes widen as she caught sight of Kylo Ren’s business card on her desk. 

“Holy shit!” Rose exclaimed. “You called him, didn’t you?”

“I really don’t want to talk about it, Rose,” Rey said flatly, not looking her in the eye.

Rose looked hurt, but responded kindly, “I’m always here if you change your mind. I came in to let you know that your one o’clock is ready for you.” 

“Thanks, Rose… and I’m sorry,” Rey mumbled miserably. 

“Don’t mention it, Doc.”

Rey drove herself hard for the rest of the afternoon, hoping to bury her wretched emotions as deeply as possible. Maybe if she worked hard enough, she could make up for her failures. Maybe if she helped enough people, she could earn her self-worth back. Maybe if she saved enough lives, she could forget that she wasn’t good enough for Ben Solo. 

When Rey ushered her last client of the day out the door, Finn asked her to join him, Poe, and Rose for dinner.

“We can get all-you-can-eat pancakes and malts again. You must be starving after today,” Finn coaxed. 

Rey shook her head. “Thanks, Finn, but I can’t. I’ve got a lot of work to catch up on, and I don’t want to leave Chewie alone just yet.”

Finn looked disappointed. “I understand. Just don’t overdo it, okay, Rey?”

During the next three weeks, Rey buried herself in her work, piling on as many appointments, surgeries, and emergencies as she could find. Rey took patients at all hours of the night and weekend, refusing to turn away even those who could wait for a regular appointment. She cared for dogs and cats of all shapes, sizes, and colors, who had everything from kennel cough to carpet in their intestines.

The humans who accompanied the animals displayed an equally impressive diversity in their emotional states. Many shouted their frustration at her, railing about their pet’s diagnosis, complaining about the cost of veterinary care, and insulting her intelligence and compassion. Some cried on her shoulder, spilling out their broken hearts as she listened. Rey took it all in, absorbing and carrying their emotions with her each day. 

Rey refused to eat during her lunch break, opting instead to do paperwork, return phone calls, or take on extra appointments. She was usually too anxious to eat breakfast and too busy to eat dinner. When she stepped on the scale, she realized that she had lost twenty pounds from her already slight frame since starting at the clinic a month ago, but she couldn’t be bothered to care. 

She turned down her friends’ daily invitations to socialize and ignored their worried looks. She refused to talk to them about what happened that night with her and Ben. Her only confidants were her faithful pets, who cuddled with her through the lonely darkness of the nights when she cried over Ben. She was both crushed and relieved each day when he failed to reappear. 

When the last Friday of her first month in Endor dawned, Rey was hanging by a thread. She dragged herself out of bed and pulled on the first pair of scrubs she could find. Looking in the mirror, she hardly recognized herself as the same person who had excitedly accepted the keys to the clinic from Luke a month ago. 

When had her lifelong dream become this nightmare she was trapped in? How was she going to make it through another day? Rey’s sense of dread and despair grew as the day wore on. 

It was only two o’clock, and she had already euthanized two cats, declared a dog dead on arrival, diagnosed bone cancer and diabetes, and amputated a leg crushed by a mail truck. When her favorite client, Carolyn, rushed through the door with her golden retriever, Teddy, in her arms, Rey said under her breath, “I have a bad feeling about this.”

Springing into action, Rey took Teddy from Carolyn and dashed to the back room with the heavy dog. Calling for Rose, she did a quick evaluation of the dog’s condition. His gums were white, his heart was racing, and he was panting heavily. When laid her hands on his belly, he yelped, and she could feel fluid sloshing around inside. 

By the time Rose arrived, Rey had already started an IV line to try to stabilize Teddy. As Rose hooked up Teddy to a heart monitor, Rey used a needle to sample the fluid from Teddy’s abdomen. The syringe flashed bright red as she drew back. Teddy was bleeding internally. 

Glancing at the heart monitor, Rey noted the erratic signals and urged Rose to help her carry Teddy to the X-ray room. The X-ray confirmed Rey’s worst fears. Teddy’s spleen was massively enlarged, signaling the presence of a growth that was almost certainly the source of his bleeding. 

Rey swore colorfully and asked Rose to fetch Carolyn. When Carolyn arrived, Rey explained the situation to her. Rey broke the news as gently as she could, but the woman turned almost as white as her dog when Rey mentioned the words “tumor” and “internal bleeding”. 

“His only chance is emergency surgery to remove his spleen and stop the bleeding,” Rey explained. “Even then, it’s dangerous, given the condition he’s in. There’s no guarantees, but you know I’ll do my best for Teddy.”

“I understand,” Carolyn sobbed. “But we have to try. Please save my Teddy.”

Rey squeezed Carolyn’s shoulder sympathetically and told her that she would call as soon as they had news. Carolyn gave Teddy a tearful kiss on the head and left Rey to do her work.

Rose and Rey quickly prepared Teddy for surgery and anesthetized him, closely monitoring his condition as they tended to him. Once Teddy was safely on the surgery table and Rey was scrubbed in, she picked up her scalpel and made an incision along the midline of his abdomen. As she expected, a wave of blood rose up to meet her, and she rapidly suctioned it out. Once she had finished, she located Teddy’s spleen, which was marred by an ugly tumor. 

Rey had never removed a spleen before, and her heart raced in time with the beeping from Teddy’s monitor. Pushing through her anxiety, she squared her shoulders and prepared for the long surgery ahead. Teddy and Carolyn were counting on her. She couldn’t let them down, no matter what.

Rey asked Rose to turn on the radio, hoping the music would calm her nerves as she searched the spleen for the source of the bleeding. She found and tied off the worst of the bleeders and was beginning to feel hopeful when the alarm went off on the heart monitor. Rey’s head flew up and her eyes locked on the monitor as she saw Teddy’s heart activity become erratic momentarily and then stop.

“Three-point-five milliliters of epinephrine, stat!” Rey shouted. “Starting chest compressions!”

Rey rolled Teddy onto his side and laid her hands over his chest and locked her elbows. She stood on her tiptoes, giving herself more leverage to pump Teddy’s failing heart. Rey’s mind flew as she tried every trick she had learned in school in order to resuscitate Teddy. 

It wasn’t until she felt Rose shaking her shoulder that she registered she had been working on Teddy for almost twenty minutes. The monitors had gone silent, and the only sound in the room was Eric Clapton singing Tears in Heaven through the radio. Suddenly she saw herself as Rose did, covered in blood and dripping sweat as she futilely pounded on the chest of a patient who had long since passed. 

“He’s gone, Doc,” Rose said kindly. “It’s time to let him go.”

Rey finally stilled her movements and hung her head, desperately trying to hold back tears as the reality of the situation sunk in. She had failed Teddy and failed Carolyn. Rey had to call Carolyn and tell her; she deserved that much. 

Numbly, Rey dialed Carolyn’s cell phone, and she picked up on the first ring. When Rey gave her the news, Carolyn howled in grief. The sound stabbed through Rey’s heart.

“I’m so sorry, Carolyn,” Rey said gently. “I did everything I could. I’m so sorry it wasn’t enough.”

“Thank you for trying, Dr. Rey,” Carolyn sobbed. “I’m so glad he was with someone who loved him when he passed.”

Rey was still stunned by the woman’s words when she hung up the phone. Carolyn was trying to comfort her, when it was Carolyn who had just lost her dog and it was Rey who had let it happen. Rey didn’t deserve comfort. No one understood that. No one understood the duty Rey had to these animals, the responsibility she bore on her shoulders. No one except another veterinarian. 

But who could she call? She didn’t want Dr. San Tekka to know what a mess his star pupil from veterinary school had turned out to be. She couldn’t call Luke, after he’d seen her and Ben. If he wasn’t going to help her with Chewie, she doubted he would want to listen to her. The only other veterinarian who really knew how she felt was Ben. She had trusted him once, but he had betrayed her and left her. No, this time she really was alone. 

As Rose cleaned the surgery suite, Rey silently prepared Teddy’s body for viewing. It was all she could do for Carolyn and her dog now. When Carolyn arrived, Rey carried Teddy out to the woman’s car by herself, wanting to bear him away on her own. 

Rose, Finn, and Poe hovered over Rey when she returned, not sure what to say to her. The lobby was empty now, since Finn had cleared Rey’s schedule when he found out Teddy needed emergency surgery. Rey looked at her staff with hollow eyes and suddenly something clicked into place in her mind.

“I know it’s been a tough day for everyone, so I want you all to take the rest of the afternoon off,” Rey said quietly. “Rose, would you mind checking in on Chewie and Artoo and Threepio this weekend? I think I need to get out of town for a bit.”

“Of course, Doc,” Rose said, looking relieved. “You deserve a break.”

Poe and Finn nodded in agreement and thanked her for the afternoon off. Once everyone had left the clinic, Rey trudged upstairs. She stripped off her bloody scrubs and got in the shower, carefully cleaning the grime from her skin and hair as she sat on the floor of the shower. When the water ran cold, she stepped out and put on her favorite green sundress. 

She carefully wrote a note thanking Rose and explaining how to care for her animals. She found each of her animals and hugged them tightly, bidding each one a tearful goodbye. Pulling her keys out of her pocket, Rey walked slowly to the locked drug cabinet. When she opened it, she didn’t have to search for what she wanted. 

Rey had used the euthanasia solution on her patients twice that day, and now it was her turn. No more loneliness, no more betrayal, no more failure. Just peace. She felt lighter knowing that soon she would be free of her suffering, joining her patients in the merciful arms of death. The world was better off without her in it.

She slowly emptied an IV bag of its saline and instead filled it with the blue euthanasia solution. With careful precision, Rey placed an IV in her left arm. Although she’d never put one in her own vein, it wasn’t so different. 

Rey hung the IV bag and slid to the floor with the clamped IV line in her hand. She hooked the line up to the IV in her arm and hesitated. All she needed to do was pop the clamp and the drug would release her from the nightmare she was living. That was when the tears started to come, first a trickle, then a deluge as her body was wracked by ugly sobs.

Utterly distraught, she once again failed to hear the chime from the unlocked front door. It wasn’t until she heard heavy footsteps and a loud curse that she realized she wasn’t alone.

Much to her shock, Ben Solo was rushing toward her. Numbly, she observed that he wasn’t in his usual suit and tie, or even in scrubs; he was in a black sweater and pants. When he reached her, he wrapped his arms around her and quickly took the clamp from her hand. He held her tightly as he unhooked the IV line from her arm, ensuring she was out of immediate danger. 

Rey collapsed into his arms and sobbed, “Why did you stop me?”

“Because I care about you, Rey,” he said passionately. “That’s what I came here to tell you. I quit my job at First Order Veterinary Corporation... because I care about you.”

Finally hearing the words she had wanted to hear since she was a child, Rey cried harder in response. She knew she should be angry with him for everything he had done to her, but she didn’t have the strength. All she could think about was that she wasn’t alone.

“Three weeks ago, when I offered you my hand and asked you to join me, you didn’t want to take it. When I got back to Los Angeles, I couldn’t stand the thought that I wasn’t the kind of man you wanted to be with... so I quit.” Ben sounded almost surprised as he finished. 

“I did want to take your hand,” she sniffled quietly. “Ben’s hand.”

Ben held her tighter and kissed her tenderly on the temple. “As much as I want to talk about that right now, I think we need to talk about you first.”

Rey hung her head. He cupped her chin in his hand and pulled it up so she would meet his eyes.

“Rey, there’s nothing to be ashamed of. You just need some help right now,” Ben said gently.

“Please don’t call the police. I don’t want to be locked up in the hospital. I’ll do better, be stronger; I promise,” Rey begged.

“Needing help isn’t a weakness, but I understand your hesitation about the hospital,” Ben said thoughtfully. “I think I have a solution. I’m taking you home to my mother.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One in six veterinarians has considered suicide, and veterinarians are nearly four times more likely than the general population to commit suicide. If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to someone. Your life is worth saving.
> 
> Thank you, readers, for reading something so near to my heart. I appreciate the time you take to read my story. Hang in there! HEA is coming. 
> 
> A special thanks to my beta bellestar for sticking with me on this story and helping me make it into its best version.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The long-awaited fluff (with a touch of angst) has arrived. As always, please mind the tags! Past suicidal intentions are mentioned in this chapter, as well as anxiety and depression.

When Ben turned off the engine of his sleek black sports car, Rey looked up from her lap for the first time in an hour. She hadn’t spoken a word since Ben had bundled her into his arms and deposited her in the passenger’s seat. She had simply stared blankly down as the tears flowed while miles of pavement passed beneath the car. 

Ben held her hand with a quiet steadiness that Rey was grateful for, but she couldn’t help wondering why he was doing all of this. The last time she had seen him, he had made it abundantly clear that his first priority was taking over the clinic and getting his revenge on Luke. When she hadn’t given in to his demands, he had walked out of her life, presumably forever. What had happened in the last three weeks?

As Rey peered out the front windshield, she saw a large, white house built in the Victorian style. When she realized that they had arrived at the home of Ben’s mother, Rey was suddenly overcome by anxiety. She was transported back to her childhood, waiting in the car outside a dozen foster homes, wondering if she would be good enough for the people inside. 

As if guessing her thoughts, Ben rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand soothingly. “Don’t worry, Rey. I know my mother will love you.”

“But what if she doesn’t? What if she sends me away?” Rey said in a small voice.

“She’ll help you; I promise,” Ben assured her. “She’s a psychiatrist, one of the best in the country.”

Rey searched his eyes, desperately looking for some hope to cling to in the tormented sea of her anxiety. Ben squeezed her hand and asked, “Ready?”

She wasn’t, but she nodded anyway.

Rey let go of his hand reluctantly, and he got out of the car, moving to open the passenger door for her. He silently offered her his hand and this time, she took it without hesitation. He pulled her up into his arms and hugged her tightly. 

“I’m here,” he said, his lips moving against the crown of her head. “You’re not alone.” Rey relaxed in his arms as his words soaked in and flooded her with a sense of safety and warmth. She wondered again at the change in his demeanor since the last time they were together, but her frayed nerves and overwhelmed brain prevented her from indulging in speculation. 

Ben shifted the way he held her, angling them both toward the house and tucking her under his arm. She leaned into his side as he guided her step by step to his mother’s front door. As he raised his fist to knock, the door flew open, revealing a middle-aged woman who had to be Ben’s mother. 

“Ben! What a wonderful surprise!” she exclaimed. “I haven’t seen you since you moved to Los Angeles.”

Her eyes darted to Rey. “And who is your lovely friend? You’ve never brought a girl home before!”

“Mom-” Ben started.

“Not that you shouldn’t bring girls home,” the woman interrupted. “It’s normal to bring home girls at your age. In fact, I think you’re long overdue-” 

“Mom,” Ben cut in, irritated. 

“It’s just that, developmentally speaking, it’s perfectly normal for men your age to feel certain urges-”

“Mom! Stop!” Ben threw at her, exasperated. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “Rey needs help.”

Ben’s mother blinked at him and then examined Rey’s face more carefully. Ben took advantage of his mother’s brief silence to introduce them. “Rey, this is my mother, Leia Organa.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Organa,” Rey said formally, unsure of herself.

“Leia, please, dear,” Ben’s mother insisted. “But where are my manners? Come inside.”

Leia held the door open as Ben slipped his hand into Rey’s and led her into the house. Rey let Ben steer her into an open living area, where they sank into a comfortable sofa facing a wall consisting entirely of windows. Even as distraught as Rey was, she couldn’t help but admire the view of a small, tree-lined lake. 

Following them, Leia seated herself regally in a loveseat and addressed Rey. “What is it that I can do for you?”

Rey swallowed, unsure of how to start, despite Leia’s kind gaze upon her. She twisted her hands in her lap nervously until Ben laid his warm fingers over hers. He leaned over and murmured in her ear, “You can trust her.”

“I tried to kill myself today,” Rey blurted out. As the words rushed out of her mouth, a dam broke in her heart, and she began to cry again. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to hold the pieces of herself together as she wept.

Leia’s eyes widened, and she glanced sharply at Ben. Whatever Leia had been expecting Rey to say, that wasn’t it.

Leia got off of the loveseat and rolled to her knees in front of Rey, taking her hands. “Oh, my dear, you came to the right place. I can help you.”

Leia’s words were full of a motherly tenderness that Rey had never experienced. Swamped with emotion, Rey sobbed harder.

“Rey, I’d really like to hear more about what happened today,” Leia said gently. “Why don’t you come with me to the den?”

Suddenly panicked at the thought of being separated from Ben, Rey asked, “Why can’t we talk here?”

“Rey, look at me.” She obeyed as Ben’s deep voice cut through her fear. He cupped her jaw softly and ran his thumb over her cheek. “My mother needs to speak with you privately to understand how best to help you. I’ll be waiting right here when you get back. I promise.” 

Reluctantly, Rey allowed Leia to pull her from her seat next to Ben and guide her down the hallway into the den. Leia closed the door behind them and gestured for Rey to sit on an elegant settee. Leia settled in the large armchair across from Rey.

“I need to ask you some questions about your life, so I can help you move forward. I want you to answer as honestly as possible,” Leia urged quietly as Rey nodded.

Leia started with a series of mundane questions about any previous diagnoses, medications, and alcohol and recreational drug use. Rey shook her head in response, feeling a bit strange at finding herself on the other end of medical questioning. 

“Are you pregnant?” Leia asked with a hopeful glint in her eye. When Rey answered “no” and said that she had an IUD, Leia looked mildly disappointed.

When Leia inquired about any family history of mental illness, Rey shrugged sadly and explained that she didn’t know her parents.

“Then who do you talk to when things get difficult?” Leia queried. Rey shifted uncomfortably in her seat and looked down, tears blurring her vision again. 

“It’s just me and my animals,” Rey sniffled. 

“No close friends?” Leia asked. Rey shook her head again, not trusting herself to speak. She had always been something of a loner, never allowing herself to put faith in other people. They never seemed to stick around very long.

“Romantic relationships?” Leia raised an eyebrow when Rey paused and blushed. What were she and Ben to each other? There was clearly an attraction between them, if their tryst on her desk was anything to go by. He said she wasn’t alone, that he cared about her. He hadn’t hesitated to save her life. That meant something, right? Rey’s feelings for Ben warred with her fear of abandonment, and she buried her head in her hands.

“Rey, what happened that led you to feel you had no other options?” Leia prodded gently. “I know it’s difficult, but it’s important we talk about this to help you get well.”

Rey looked into Leia’s eyes and remembered what Ben had said about trusting her. Taking a deep breath, Rey tearfully recounted the events of the last month, only leaving out the part where she and Ben had made love on her desk. Leia listened intently, never once interrupting, although she frowned deeply when Rey described Ben and Luke’s behavior toward her. 

“...and I guess I just lost hope,” Rey finished with a sob.

Leia stood and put her hand on Rey’s shoulder. “Hope is like the sun. If you only believe in it when you can see it, then you’ll never make it through the night.”

Rey thought about that. She’d been through plenty of dark periods in her life, but she’d always made it out the other side. Maybe this time wasn’t so different. She just had to figure out how to believe it. “What happens next?” Rey asked trepidatiously.

“Our first priority is keeping you safe until you’re well enough to take care of yourself again. Normally, the best place to do that is a hospital,” Leia said carefully. 

Rey’s face contorted in terror as she heard Leia’s words, and she was momentarily overcome by the compulsion to flee. Leia held her hand up in acquiescence and continued, “But I get the sense that the hospital might not be the most comforting environment for you right now. Ben and I can look after you here until you’re back on your feet.”

Rey exhaled a relieved breath that she didn’t know she was holding as Leia continued, “We can easily treat your depression and anxiety right here. I’d like to start you on some medication and begin intensive therapy tomorrow, that is, if you are interested in continuing our conversations.”

Rey nodded and thanked Leia shyly, too overwhelmed by her generosity to say anything more eloquent.

“It’s the least I can do, since you are clearly very important to my son,” Leia answered. Her eyes sparkled mischievously as Rey gaped at her. “Or do you think it’s just a coincidence that he showed up at my door for the first time in three years with his arm around you?”

Unsure of how to respond to that, Rey blushed and looked down, and Leia chuckled. 

“Speaking of Ben, let’s get you back to him before he gets too lonely out there,” Leia winked.

Eagerly, Rey retraced her footsteps to the living room. She found Ben stretched out on the couch where she left him, just as he promised. Her heart did a little flip when she noticed he was stroking a fluffy, brown cat that was curled adorably beneath his chin.

“I see Wicket’s managed to find you,” Leia said with amusement from behind Rey.

Ben’s eyes locked with Rey’s, and he smiled a shy, crooked smile at her as his mother said, “You’ve always been something of an animal magnet.”

At the sound of Leia’s voice, Wicket raised his head, revealing a charming, flat face and dark brown eyes. The cat stretched luxuriously and hopped off Ben’s chest, making his way toward Leia. 

Ben stood up from the couch and opened his arms to Rey. She didn’t hesitate before melting into him, immediately feeling less on edge with his arms wrapped tightly around her. Resting her ear against his chest, she could hear his heart beat in a steady, soothing rhythm. 

“How did it go?” Ben murmured.

“Your mom diagnosed me with depression and anxiety,” Rey answered for Ben’s ears alone. “She said I need medication and therapy, and we can start tomorrow.”

“Are you okay?” he asked, tightening his embrace. 

Rey nodded against his chest. “I am now.”

Rey wanted to remain safely in his grasp, but she was mindful of Leia’s presence. When Rey finally pulled back from Ben, she caught sight of a framed photograph hanging on the wall beside them. It showed a gangly adolescent boy with braces who had yet to grow into his ears.

A fit of giggles escaped Rey when she recognized the picture of Ben. When he followed her gaze, she noticed a blush begin to creep up his neck. 

“Wasn’t he just the cutest boy?” Leia gushed as she joined them, holding the purring Wicket in her arms. 

“Oh, there’s no doubt about that,” Rey answered puckishly. “In fact, I’d love to see more photos.”

“I’ll go find the albums!” Leia clapped enthusiastically and rushed off. 

“Mom, don’t-” Ben started, but his mother was already gone.

He gave Rey a sour look, and she snorted in mirth.

“Oh, you think that’s funny, do you?” Ben asked.

“In fact, I happen to find it quite humorous,” Rey said smugly, and Ben narrowed his eyes further. “I mean, who knew that sweet little tween would grow up to be the great and powerful Kylo Ren.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Rey.” His voice was rich and deep.

“Oh? And what else is there to know about the big, bad wolf?” she teased. 

“I’ll show you just how bad I can be,” he husked, making her shiver.

Quick as a cat, Ben dug his fingers into her ticklish flanks, and she squealed in surprise. When she tried to escape, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to the ground on top of him. He tickled her mercilessly as he gripped her, and she wriggled helplessly in his lap.

When she thought her lungs would burst from laughing, he finally let up. She collapsed onto him, her chest heaving. She felt his hands slide around to her back, holding her to him as she caught her breath. 

When he released her, she reluctantly rolled off of him, acutely aware of the fact that Leia could return at any moment. Ben stood and offered Rey his hand, helping her to her feet. Suddenly feeling dizzy, Rey swayed and stumbled forward. 

Ben caught her arm and steadied her. “When was the last time you ate something?”

“I… I actually don’t know,” Rey said shakily. 

Ben frowned. “Then let’s get you something to eat.”

He placed a gentle hand on the small of her back and guided her into Leia’s expansive kitchen. Ben pulled out a stool at the breakfast bar and gestured for Rey to sit. She obeyed, still wondering where this sweet, domestic side of Ben had come from. Not that she was complaining. 

“What can I make you?” he asked warmly. 

“Something simple,” Rey answered. “I don’t think I can stomach anything fancy.”

“I know just the thing,” Ben said thoughtfully. “Can you handle pasta?”

Rey nodded, watching as Ben pulled the necessary supplies out of cupboards with practiced ease, and a realization struck her. “You know where everything is. You grew up here?”

Before Ben could say a word, Leia strode into the kitchen carrying a stack of bound photo albums, and answered for him. “He certainly did. In fact, almost right where he’s standing is where he took his first steps. I’ll show you a picture.” 

Leia slid an aged blue album out from the stack and cracked it open. She flipped the pages, halting when she reached a series of photos showing a dark-haired toddler with his arms extended toward a big black labrador. 

“He was after the dog, as usual. That boy was born loving animals, I swear,” Leia said fondly as Rey smiled down at the picture. 

“Of course, after he learned to walk, there was no stopping him,” Leia prattled as she turned the pages of the album, pointing out various photographs. “When he was three, he went through a phase where he refused to wear any clothes, except for his little cape. His father and I had quite a time explaining that one to the mailman.”

Giggling, Rey glanced over at Ben, who was busy boiling pasta and chopping tomatoes with his back to them. Given the red flush making its way up his neck, Rey could tell he was listening intently to every childhood secret his mother was revealing. Rey’s laughter only seemed to encourage Leia, who gave Rey a look that indicated the tales were just beginning. 

“He also had an imaginary friend named Victoria. Ben blamed Victoria for everything, including the time he lured a squirrel into the house with peanuts. We chased the poor creature around the living room for almost an hour before we finally got it back outside. Ben was furious when he got a time-out instead of Victoria.”

When Leia turned the next page, Rey couldn’t help but squeal in delight. Her eyes feasted on an adorable photograph of nine-year old Ben dressed to match a handsome man who she assumed was his father. They stood in front of a chrome motorcycle, wearing identical outfits, down to the black vest and utility belt. She was about to ask Leia about Ben’s father when a large pair of hands whisked the album out from under her nose. 

“Enough, Mother!” Ben said shortly, giving the older woman a withering look.

“Hey! I was enjoying that,” Rey objected, trying to stifle a grin at his embarrassment. 

“I’ll bet you were,” Ben muttered darkly, narrowing his eyes.

“Benjamin Organa Solo! That’s no way to talk to your girlfriend,” Leia scolded with her hands on her hips. 

When Ben glowered at Rey, her suppressed mirth burst out in an undignified snort, followed by a paroxysm of giggles. She covered her face with her hands, trying to regain her composure. In her amusement, Rey almost missed the fact that neither she nor Ben had contested Leia’s use of the term “girlfriend”. Almost. She filed that detail away for later inspection. 

By the time Rey peeked out from behind her hands, Leia was packing up the photo albums and Ben was plating the pasta dish he had prepared for her. He set the bowl of food in front of Rey, who thanked him sincerely as she inspected the beautiful meal.

“So, Benjamin. I haven’t seen you since you moved to L.A. three years ago. What brings you back to Minnesota now?” Leia asked, raising her eyebrows. 

“Business,” Ben said uncomfortably.

“Ah. Yes. Business.” Leia said carefully. “Luke mentioned that he saw you about a month ago. I wondered why your work as CEO brought you back to your old clinic.”

“Mom,” Ben said warningly.

Leia pressed on, “When Luke told me he retired from the vet business, I had hoped you decided to put your feud to rest. Apparently, you had other reasons for coming back.”

Rey nearly choked on her penne when Leia glanced her way.

“I’d really rather not talk about this right now,” Ben gritted out. 

“Fine, but we will discuss it later,” Leia said firmly.

Rey’s eyes drooped with exhaustion, and Leia cleared her throat. “Rey, dear, I think it’s time for you to get some rest. I made up the bed in the guest room for you, but I think it would be best for someone to watch over you until you’re feeling better.”

“That’s really not necessary,” Rey said, her lifetime of stubborn independence rearing its head. “I don’t want to be a burden.”

“Nonsense. We’re happy to look after you,” Leia answered gently. Rey shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut against her sudden tears. 

Rey looked up from beneath her lashes when a warm hand cupped her cheek, and she found Ben gazing tenderly down at her. “Rey, let me take care of you,” he said softly, stroking her face with his thumb. Rey sighed, realizing she didn’t have the strength to fight Ben’s kindness. 

“Okay,” she said in a small voice. 

“Then it’s settled,” he said, dropping his hand, “I’ll stay with Rey in the guest room.” 

Leia nodded, looking pleased. “I’m heading to bed. Don’t be afraid to wake me if you need anything.”

After Leia disappeared from the kitchen, Ben took Rey’s hand and led her back through the living room and up a curving staircase. When they reached the guest room, Rey stopped abruptly. Ben paused and looked at her quizzically.

“I didn’t bring anything. I literally have no clothes, no toothbrush, nothing,” Rey said anxiously.

“Oh. That,” Ben answered calmly. “My mother keeps the guest bathroom stocked with any supplies you could possibly need. As far as clothing, I’m sure she can find you something to wear in the morning. I think I can find you something to sleep in for tonight.”

He leaned down and kissed her forehead before walking to the room across the hall. Rey took the opportunity to perform her bedtime ablutions in the bathroom off the guest room. Ben had been correct; everything she needed was here. She was about to let down her hair when she heard a soft knock on the door. 

When she opened it, she was greeted with the sight of Ben wearing a black T-shirt and lounge pants, holding a stack of folded clothes out to her. She blinked at him, momentarily stunned by the fact that he looked incredibly attractive, even in his pajamas. Suddenly realizing that he was waiting for her, she took the clothing and murmured her thanks.

Closing the bathroom door again, she changed into what turned out to be one of Ben’s shirts and a pair of his boxers. Thanks to the elastic on the boxers, they didn’t fall off, but they rested dangerously low on her hips. Luckily, the top was huge on her and covered the boxers completely, the hem coming to rest mid-thigh. 

After letting her hair down and brushing it out, she exited the bathroom to find Ben standing next to the king-sized bed that dominated the room. His eyes transformed into molten pits of desire as he took in the sight of her. Mutely, he drew back the covers and gestured toward the mattress. 

As Rey climbed into the bed, Ben took her place in the bathroom. She was so exhausted that she was almost asleep by the time Ben returned. Feeling his stare on her, she cracked open her eyes to find him sitting in an oversized armchair in the corner of the room.

“What are you doing over there?” she inquired sleepily.

“Watching over you, like I promised,” he answered.

“So you’re just going to sit in that chair all night and stare at me? No way,” she said firmly.

“Rey, we’ve been over this,” he sighed. “You shouldn’t be alone right now.”

“That’s not what I meant,” she said, peeling back the sheets and patting the spot next to her. 

Ben hesitated, searching her eyes for a moment before crawling onto the bed. When he switched off the lamp on the bedside table, the room was pitch black. As if compensating, her others senses heightened, and Rey was acutely aware of the sound of Ben’s breathing and his rich, alluring aroma. Her breath hitched in her throat as she realized this was the first time anyone had ever spent the night with her. 

“Rey? Are you sure this is okay with you?” he asked, his voice gentle.

Too overwhelmed and exhausted to form words, Rey rolled over. She collided with Ben’s warm chest and threw her arm across him. With her last shred of consciousness, she felt him snake his arm around her back and softly kiss the top of her head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! I appreciate all the hits, kudos, and comments. You are wonderful! 
> 
> Special thanks to my beta bellestar for her endless encouragement and help with this story!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please mind the tags! This chapter contains a ton of sexually explicit content. I've been baking smutmuffins all weekend for you lovelies!

Rey awoke disoriented, her overtaxed mind reluctant to begin working properly. Her first thought was that Chewie was laying on her again, the way the dog did when she overslept and he got hungry. Fighting through the mental haze, she slowly became aware that a pair of muscular arms were wrapped around her torso, trapping her body against the solid form behind her. 

Her eyes flew open when she realized a large hand cupped her breast and a hard length pressed against her ass. Blushing, she remembered that she had invited Ben into the bed with her last night. She tried to shift in his grasp to see his face, but he tightened his arms and grumbled something incomprehensible into her hair. Rey giggled helplessly at his response. 

“What’s so funny?” Ben mumbled behind her. 

“I didn’t expect that the terrifying Kylo Ren would turn out to be such a big cuddlebug,” she answered through a smile. 

“You’ve got quite a mouth on you,” Ben breathed in her ear. “I don’t think that should go unpunished.”

Rey suppressed a shiver of pleasure. “I’d like to see you try.”

“I can arrange that,” he said, nipping her earlobe playfully and squeezing her breast gently. He kissed his way deliberately down her jaw, leaving a fiery trail across her skin. Dipping down to her neck, he closed his lips over the flesh there and sucked hard. She bit back a moan, refusing to let him know how much he was affecting her. 

Ben was relentless. Releasing her neck with a pop, he drew a line of wet, open-mouthed kisses down to her collarbone. When he reached it, he licked slowly along its length, and then suddenly latched on again. Rey gasped at the sensation, and Ben hummed thoughtfully against her. 

“Are you ready to apologize?” His lips brushed against her skin as he spoke. 

“Not a chance,” she responded stubbornly, then added, “cuddlebug.”

“Oh, you’re going to regret that,” he said seductively. The hand that rested on her breast shifted, and his fingers began to circle the peak teasingly. She could feel her nipples tighten as he worked, sending little waves of electricity to her core. When he simultaneously pinched one pebbled peak and nipped her neck, she moaned aloud. Ben chuckled as she clapped a hand over her mouth. 

“Is there anything you want to say to me?” he taunted as he rolled her nipple between his thumb and forefinger, further building the tension in her core.

“Nothing,” she managed to choke out. 

“So you insist on being a bad girl, then,” he husked. “I really will have to punish you.”

He slid his hand from her breast and ghosted his fingertips down her stomach and along her hip. Her breath hitched when his hand traveled the line between her pelvis and thigh, toward her center. A hairsbreadth before he reached the apex of her thighs, he stopped and stroked down her leg. He retraced his path carefully again and again, and Rey could feel the wetness building between her legs in response to his ministrations. 

Rey panted and squeezed her thighs together, her unfulfilled arousal building unbearably. She attempted to sneak her hand down to touch herself, but Ben caught her wrist in his other hand and pinned it to the bed. She whined in frustration and wriggled in his grasp. 

“None of that, you naughty thing,” he scolded, and she could sense the laughter behind his words.

Narrowing her eyes, Rey resolved to take back the upper hand. She feigned relaxation, no longer struggling against the hand that gripped her wrist or the arm that tightened around her waist. 

“That’s right, be a good girl for me,” Ben purred in her ear, making her blush furiously. When he loosened his hold on her and resumed teasing her, she seized the moment. She flipped deftly in his grasp and threw her weight against him. He huffed in surprise when his back hit the mattress, and Rey straddled him, her hands pressing against his chest.

Ben started to laugh, but it turned into a strangled groan as Rey ground her center against his hard length. With only a few thin layers of fabric between them, the friction was delicious. It was Rey’s turn to moan when she felt his cock bump her clit, giving her the sensation she was so desperate for. She felt Ben’s hands grab her hips firmly, stilling her motion. Rey tensed and froze, wondering if she had done something wrong. 

“I have to go,” he explained uncomfortably, his gaze locked to the ceiling. Rey’s heart dropped into her stomach. 

Rolling off of him, she turned her back to him, so he couldn’t see the tears gathering in her eyes. She felt his weight shift off the bed and heard the door close. As soon as she heard the latch click, she curled into a ball and sobbed.

How had she misread things so badly? She had let her guard down, and he had rejected her again. Maybe he didn’t want her; maybe he just felt sorry for her. Disgusted with herself, she cried harder, her shoulders heaving. 

Hearing the rush of running water and the sound of the door opening, Rey froze. It was probably Leia, she reasoned, coming to take over caring for her, now that Ben was gone. She quickly swallowed her grief and wiped her eyes, not ready to face the older woman’s pity, too.

“Rey?” It was a deep, masculine voice: Ben’s voice. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to rearrange the pieces in her mind to make this new development fit. 

She felt the mattress dip with his weight as his scent in the air intensified. He placed a hand on her shoulder from behind and asked compassionately, “Rey, what’s going on?”

“You don’t want me,” she sniffed, still balled up with her eyes closed.

“What on Earth gave you that idea?” he asked, sounding bewildered.

“We were- and then you-” Rey choked out haltingly.

“Rey, sweetheart, look at me,” he requested. “Please.”

She inhaled deeply and wiped her tears again, steeling herself to face whatever it was Ben wanted to tell her. Rolling over and opening her eyes, she found herself inches from the man she thought had abandoned her once again.

His face was filled with nothing but concern as he said, “When I said I had to go, I meant to the bathroom.”

“Oh,” Rey said in a small voice as the fragments of the puzzle snapped into place. His obvious discomfort as she sat on him, his abrupt departure, his words: it all made sense now. 

“You thought I was leaving you?” Ben asked sadly. Rey could only nod silently. 

“I suppose I can’t blame you after everything I’ve done,” he said flatly, his eyes filled with shame. “I never should have said all of those things. I never should have walked away from you. I’m sorry, Rey.”

“What made you change your mind?” Rey asked plaintively, her heart aching. “Why did you come back?”

Ben took a deep breath and started. “When you didn’t take my hand that night after Chewie’s surgery, I was so angry with you. I couldn’t believe that you rejected me.”

She opened her mouth to object, and then closed it. He deserved the chance to tell his side of the story. 

“I went back to L.A. with every intention of staying there and burying myself in my job.”

Rey nodded. She knew what it was like to dive into work to avoid her feelings. She had done the same thing after Ben had left her.

“A few weeks after I got back to my office at First Order Headquarters, I got a call from Snoke, the Chairman of the Board, that I was being summoned to a meeting to address my absence. In short, the board wasn’t thrilled that I spent a week in Endor on company’s dime without acquiring the clinic.”

She was surprised to learn that her little clinic was such a big deal to such a large corporation; she had assumed that Ben’s desire to take over her clinic was all about his rivalry with Luke. 

“Snoke said that the board was questioning my leadership. It was complete bullshit, given that profits had never been better than when I was CEO. What Snoke really wanted was Luke’s clinic. They were rivals from day one in vet school because Snoke was always more concerned with making money than healing animals. Luke tried to warn me about him when I left to join First Order Veterinary Corporation, but I didn’t listen.”

Things were becoming clearer with every word, as Rey’s analytical mind arranged each piece of information neatly into a picture of the situation. The rivalry between Snoke and Luke explained why Luke was so opposed to her selling to First Order Veterinary Corporation and why he was so angry when he saw her kissing Ben. 

“When I challenged Snoke, things got very nasty, and I realized that he had been using me for my connection to Luke all along. He didn’t see me as anything but a pawn, and suddenly I understood that my meteoric rise to CEO had nothing to do with my abilities.”

So Ben was being used, just as she had been used. Despite how he had treated her, she couldn’t help but have empathy for him. 

“I should have been furious, but in that moment, I couldn’t think about anything but you, looking at me with those heartbroken eyes, asking me not to go. And that’s when I realized that I was no better than Snoke. I had tried to take your clinic to get back at Luke. I didn’t deserve you, but I wanted to.”

Rey’s eyes filled with tears at his last words. No one had ever talked about her that way, like she mattered.

“I walked out of First Order Headquarters, quitting my position as CEO and leaving Snoke behind. I hopped a plane back to Minnesota and drove to the clinic as fast as I could. I don’t know what I planned to say, but I had to tell you that I was wrong, that I was sorry for everything I did to you.”

Ben’s jaw trembled as he apologized, and Rey realized how hard he was fighting to hold back his emotions. Rey wasn’t doing much better, as his admission of guilt struck her deeply. No one who had hurt her had ever said they were sorry.

“I was dreaming of having you in my arms again. Then I found you on the floor of the clinic, and it all turned into a nightmare. I don’t want to think about what would have happened had I waited even a minute longer. I never would have seen you again.”

His voice cracked on the last word, and he closed his eyes. A tear leaked from the corner of one of his lids. Utterly shocked by everything she was hearing and seeing, Rey stared at Ben’s stricken face. She reached a trembling hand out to cup his cheek and wipe the tear away. 

“I’m sorry, Ben. I’m so sorry that I scared you. I just didn’t know what else to do,” Rey whispered, her heart constricting. 

Ben opened his eyes and gazed at her miserably. “Please don’t apologize, Rey. I’m the one who pushed you into this. This is all my fault, and I’ll never forgive myself for it.”

The degree of tenderness behind his words was something she had never experienced, and it was like the sun breaking through the clouds for the first time in her life. Unable to speak, Rey placed her hands on either side of Ben’s face and tilted her lips up to meet his forehead, putting every ounce of adoration she felt into the kiss. 

She rested her forehead against his and looked deeply into his desolate brown eyes. She wasn’t sure who moved first, but when their lips touched, it was soft and sweet, without any of the urgency of their last encounter. He caressed her lips gently with his own, and her mouth opened like a desert flower under the first drops of rain. 

His tongue explored her mouth rapturously, and she responded in kind, savoring every sweep of her tongue against his. When she lightly sucked on his lower lip, he groaned quietly and rolled them so he was laying on top of her. 

He continued to kiss her tenderly as he slid his hand beneath her oversized shirt and began massaging her breast. He kneaded the flesh gently, monitoring carefully for her every reaction to his ministrations. When he cupped her breast and ran his thumb over her tight nipple, she sighed with pleasure against his lips. 

Releasing her lips, he retreated momentarily to tug at the hem of her shirt. She sat up, and he pulled the garment from her swiftly, tossing it off the edge of the bed. He stared at her shirtless torso, clearly enchanted by the sight of her in nothing but his boxer shorts.

He stripped his own shirt off and bent down to capture her lips briefly again, his chest grazing her bare tits. The sensation was electric, sending heat coiling into her abdomen once again. The feeling intensified as he slid his chest down her body while he kissed his way toward her breasts.

As he moved, Rey traced her fingers over the tattoo ink creeping up Ben’s arms, truly taking in the feathered pattern for the first time. His muscles flexed enticingly beneath his skin, making the feathers ripple. 

Her reverie was cut short when he latched onto one of her nipples, and her attention snapped back to his face. His eyes locked with hers as he suckled the rosy flesh, his dark eyes swirling with emotion. He didn’t drop his gaze as he parted his lips and traced the tip of his tongue in circles around the hard peak, sending shivers down Rey’s spine.

She slipped her fingers deep into his lush black locks, scratching her blunt fingers against his scalp as he hummed happily against her breast. When she tugged gently at his tresses, his hum turned into an aroused gasp, and her nipple left his mouth with a wet pop. 

He took the opportunity to attend to her other breast with his mouth, although he still rolled the first blushing peak between his thumb and forefinger. Rey moaned at the increased stimulation, arching her back. 

Sensing her need, Ben trailed his free hand down her stomach, under the hem of her boxers, and over her mound. Unlike during his earlier teasing, he caressed her folds immediately and dipped a finger into her slickness. 

She gasped at his touch, and he husked hungrily, “Fuck, you’re so wet already.” 

Rey bit her lip and said shyly, “I can’t help it when I’m around you.”

He groaned at her admission. “Rey, where do you want my mouth?” 

“Please, Ben, I need your tongue on my pussy,” she moaned, surprising herself with her boldness. She wriggled out of her loose boxer shorts easily, kicking them over the side of the bed. 

Ben let out a breathy curse and immediately moved to obey her command, scooting further down the bed until his head was at the apex of her thighs. He reached down and bent her knees gently, opening her up to give him a better view of her moist folds. She felt him place a kiss on each of her thighs and then one at her center. He began licking long, slow circles around her clit with his tongue. 

Rey propped herself up on her elbows so that she could watch Ben work on her. Her eyes widened as she got an eyeful of his muscular shoulders. His tattooed sleeves extended up his arms onto his back, forming a pair of detailed wings. Feasting on her soaked center, he looked like some kind of amorous angel.

When he stopped circling her bud and pulled it into his mouth, Rey slid to the mattress with a cry, no longer able to hold herself up. As he continued the sweet torture, she felt her orgasm building slowly within her abdomen. Unable to help herself, she rocked her hips against his face, seeking more friction.

Ben readily understood her desire, and gently slipped one finger into her tight heat. Rey keened in relief as he began to move his digit in and out of her opening luxuriously. He added another finger and increased his speed when she began to grind down onto his hand.

The combined sensation of his tongue and lips on her clit, along with his fingers dragging against her walls, caused her to climb higher and higher. She was so close that when he reached up his free hand to pinch her nipple gently, she immediately peaked with a series of short, sharp moans. 

Ben didn’t stop as she rode out her orgasm, wringing every last ounce of pleasure out of her before they both stilled. He kissed her center soothingly as his fingers slipped out of her. 

“Ben, that was… wow,” she breathed. 

“I know what you mean,” he answered huskily as he crawled on top of her, caging her between his elbows and knees. 

Dipping his head, he kissed her, and she tasted her arousal on his lips. She deepened the kiss eagerly, sliding one hand up his neck and back into his hair. As their tongues danced together, she reached her other hand up to run her palm along his hard length through his sleep pants. He moaned deeply into her mouth and thrusted against her hand.

When they came up for air, he reached down to divest himself of his sleep pants, freeing his straining cock. Rey wrapped her hand around his bare length and pumped slowly, reveling in the feeling of his soft skin sliding over his hard shaft. She hummed appreciatively and licked her lips, thinking of the time she had his manhood in her mouth.

“Please, Rey, let me make love to you again,” Ben begged. “I want to show you what you mean to me.”

“Yes,” she agreed without hesitation. 

He kissed her, his lips lingering as he lined himself up with her entrance. He slipped the tip gently inside, and they both moaned simultaneously at the sensation. As he slowly advanced inch by inch, her walls stretched deliciously to accommodate him. Once he bottomed out, he stilled momentarily, and she enjoyed the feeling of being completely filled with Ben. 

Pulling back, he dragged his length against her walls as she squeezed him softly with her inner muscles. He set a relaxed pace, seemingly content now that he was finally inside her. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he thrust into her, taking pleasure in every tender stroke. Finding her lips again, he kissed her in a leisurely manner, taking his time with her. 

When she began to meet his rhythm eagerly, he reached between them to fondle her breasts. Rey arched her back when he rolled her nipple between his thumb and forefinger, setting his cock more deeply inside her. She cried out as he hit an acutely pleasurable spot.

“What do you need, sweetheart?” Ben asked attentively.

“More,” she panted, not sure how he could be so calm. “Harder.”

“With pleasure,” he answered simply with a grin on his face.

Reaching behind him, he grabbed her feet from behind his back and propped them on his shoulders as he rolled onto his knees. He rocked his pelvis forward and seated himself fully into her, driving deeper than before in the new position. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she felt him hit a bundle of nerves far down inside her. 

He was as good as his word, pistoning into her faster and harder than he had previously. She could feel her breasts bounce with every blow, and she noticed that he watched them with utter captivation. She lifted her hands to her tight nipples and began to play with them, teasing him while she pleasured herself.

Swearing colorfully under her breath, his pupils widened with lust. He began to pound into her with abandon, giving her exactly what she wanted. She moaned his name with every thrust, unable to help herself as her orgasm neared. Ben was in a similar state above her, sweat dripping down his chest as it heaved with exertion. 

“Come with me,” he pleaded. 

Seeing him beg her to share in his pleasure made her climax with overwhelming force. He continued to plunge into her as she peaked, and she shouted his name. She watched him shudder as his eyes rolled back, and heard him growl out her name hoarsely. She felt as he released his hot spend, pumping it into her with a last few jerky thrusts. 

He stilled inside her as they both panted, their eyes locked. She had never felt so connected to anyone in her life as she did with Ben at this moment. Rey whimpered with loss when he finally pulled out of her. 

Continuing to hold her gaze, he lifted her feet from his shoulders and set them gently on the mattress. He laid down beside her, gathering her into his arms with great tenderness. She buried her face in his neck, and he kissed the top of her head. 

“I’m here, Rey. You’re not alone,” Ben promised. 

Rey answered with a smile, “Neither are you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, readers, for taking time to read my work, and for your comments and kudos! Smutmuffins for everyone!!!
> 
> Thanks a million to the best beta in the business, bellestar, for her all of her help with this story.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please mind the tags! You get a smutmuffin! You get a smutmuffin! Everyone gets a SMUTMUFFIN!!! Meaning there is sexually explicit material in this chapter. There is also a very brief mention of a suicide attempt.

Ben and Rey stayed entwined for a long time, simply basking in the warmth and bliss of being in each other’s arms. When she finally disentangled herself from his grasp, it was with great regret. She kissed him softly on lips and promised she would return. 

As soon as Rey shut the bathroom door to perform her morning routine, the weight of her cares dropped onto her shoulders like a lead vest. Without the comfort of Ben’s arms surrounding her, dark thoughts raced through her mind. 

What was she going to do when Monday came? How could she walk into the clinic again with the memory of her attempt to take her own life burned into her brain? How was she going to face the stress of the late nights, the angry clients, and the heartbreaking deaths in her current emotional state? 

Then again, how could she stay away? The animals and their owners needed her. There was the veterinary oath to uphold. She had a practice to manage, bills to pay, and a reputation to maintain. Rose, Finn, and Poe were depending on her for their livelihoods. She had to go back. 

Rey shook her head in frustration, trying to drive the endless anxious thoughts from her mind. She couldn’t face all this right now, naked and armed only with a toothbrush. 

Glancing at the back of the bathroom door where her green sundress hung, she suddenly remembered that she didn’t have any clean clothes. Ben had reassured her last night that his mother could find something for her to wear today. She sighed and slipped back into yesterday’s dress.

When Rey opened the bathroom door, she found Ben making the bed. Dressed in red shorts and a snug black T-shirt, he looked as delectable as ever. He looked back over his shoulder as he finished with the sheets, giving her a sweet, crooked smile. Rey’s heart flipped over at his expression, and she wondered how one person could make her feel so excited and relaxed all at once.

“How are you holding up?” Ben asked as he finished wrestling the comforter into place.

“I’m okay,” she lied, still trying to fight off the uneasy thoughts intruding on her consciousness. 

“You don’t always have to be okay, sweetheart,” he said, coming over to fold her into his embrace. She wrapped her arms around his torso as he tucked her head beneath his chin. Not trusting herself to answer, she simply nuzzled into his chest as he stroked her hair. 

Ben didn’t push her for a response. “What do you think about breakfast and then talking to my mother about finding clothes for you?”

Rey agreed readily, finding herself eager at the promise of food and fresh clothing. Hand in hand, they made their way down the stairs and toward the kitchen. As they turned the corner, they found Leia at the stove, humming over a stack of pancakes.

“Good morning, Ben, Rey,” she smiled at them. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, thank you. I slept like a baby,” Rey answered as Ben nodded. 

“Really?” Leia asked, raising an eyebrow. “I could have sworn I heard loud noises this morning.”

Rey’s eyes widened as Leia looked at them, her head swiveling rapidly between the couple expectantly. 

“It was probably just Wicket meowing,” Ben said, shrugging nonchalantly. 

Leia’s eyes sparkled mischievously, “No, I’m pretty sure that was-”

“Pancakes!” Rey blurted out, desperately avoiding the end of Leia’s sentence. Both Ben and Leia turned their heads toward Rey quizzically.

“I love pancakes,” Rey explained sheepishly. “How did you know?”

“Oh, a mother just knows these things,” Leia said smugly. 

“Thank you for making breakfast,” Ben said, looking relieved that Rey had successfully diverted the conversation. 

“Nonsense, dear. It’s my pleasure,” Leia answered warmly. “Breakfast is almost ready. Why don’t you and Rey have a seat at the table?”

Rey followed Ben to a small, sunny breakfast nook where the table was set for three. Ben gestured for Rey to sit on a cushioned bench, as he took the seat across from her. Leia followed shortly after, carrying a tray covered with pancakes, fruit, and a pitcher of orange juice. She set the tray down at the center of the table and settled herself on the chair at the end of the table, between Ben and Rey. 

“Don’t be shy, now. Dig in!” Leia pronounced. 

Preparing to reach for the food, Rey swept her hair behind her shoulders. As soon as she did, Leia’s vision zeroed in on her neck.

“Rey, you’ve got something on your neck,” Leia told her. “Here, let me get that for you.” Leia licked the pad of her thumb and rubbed it against Rey’s neck, trying to smudge away whatever it was she saw. 

When Rey caught Ben’s panicked expression from across the table, she froze. She suddenly realized what the mark on her neck must be and why it wasn’t coming off. Ben had given her a hickey.

Leia halted her attempts and huffed with humor, “Benjamin Solo, you have been busy!”

“Mom,” he groaned, putting his hands over his face. 

Rey could feel herself turning red as Leia winked. “I swear, he must get it from his father. The Solo libido is practically insatiable.” It was Rey’s turn to hide her face.

“Mom, I don’t think-” Ben tried to cut in. 

“There’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Leia scolded. “Sexual intercourse is a perfectly normal, healthy activity between two people.”

“Mom, please stop,” Ben begged. Rey couldn’t agree more.

Ignoring him, Leia grinned. “I mean, it isn’t always quite that loud, but who am I to-”

“Mother!” Ben warned sharply. 

Rey was sure she had never been more embarrassed in her life, including the time in vet school when she had to explain dog genitalia to a rather scandalized old lady. She was certain she would never be able to look Leia in the eye again. 

“Oh, for goodness sakes!” Leia exclaimed, but she mercifully dropped the subject, even if the twinkle in her eye remained.

Rey studiously stuffed herself with pancakes, willing her blush to fade and praying the awkward conversation wouldn’t reemerge. Rey thought Ben must have had the same idea because he was also consuming his breakfast with surprising enthusiasm as he avoided his mother’s gaze.

“Rey,” Leia began, and Rey felt herself tense as she prepared for further embarrassment. “Would you be up for a therapy session this morning?”

“Oh,” Rey sighed, relieved. “Of course.”

Leia looked pleased. “Excellent. Once we get cleaned up, we’ll head back to the den for our conversation.”

“Go ahead. I take care of this,” Ben said, gesturing toward the table. 

“Thank you, Ben,” Leia said, laying a hand on her son’s cheek. “It’s wonderful to have you home.”

Rey watched the tender interaction between mother and child with deep longing. She had never known the loving touch of a mother, and seeing it first hand was enough to tug painfully at her heartstrings. What would it be like to have a home to go back to, a place where a family was waiting for you?

Her yearning was interrupted when Leia put a hand on her shoulder. “Ready?” 

Rey nodded and followed her toward the other end of the house. They were almost to the den by the time Rey remembered that she was still wearing yesterday’s dress.

“Leia?” Rey ventured. It was hard to ask for help, even when it was something small. 

“What’s wrong, dear?” Leia asked kindly.

“I didn’t bring any clothes. We were in kind of a rush to leave last night,” Rey explained. 

“I wondered about that when you didn’t have any luggage. You did the right thing by coming straight here,” Leia reassured her. “Not to worry, dear. I have what you need.”

“But how did you know what I need?” Rey asked curiously.

“I told you, a mother always knows,” Leia remarked mysteriously. 

Intrigued, Rey trailed Leia down the hallway and into a large bedroom overlooking the lake. The older woman bustled over to a chest at the foot of the bed and pulled it open, grabbing an oversized white shopping bag from inside. She handed it to Rey, who resisted the urge to look inside. 

“You’re welcome to change in here,” Leia suggested. “I’ll be waiting in the den across the hall.”

Rey thanked Leia graciously. When Leia closed the door behind her, Rey eagerly dipped her hand into the shopping bag, pulling out the items within and setting them on the bed. The first layer contained a few neatly folded sundresses in a variety of colors. She would have a hard time deciding which one of them to wear. 

Next was a swimsuit, which in itself pleased Rey, as she was delighted at the prospect of getting in the lake for the first time in her life. However, this particular piece of swimwear was an elaborate bronze and gold bikini that looked more like it belonged on a runway model than on her own body. Rey reddened slightly at the thought of Ben seeing her wearing it.

At the bottom of the bag was a stack of what Rey could only describe as lingerie. A far cry from the trusty cotton undergarments she usually wore, there was a rainbow of lace panties and bras. Rey’s blush deepened as she pulled the last items out of the bag: a couple of silky, form-fitting nighties. She tried not to think too hard about the message Leia was sending with those.

She ran her hand over each of the fabrics laid out on the bed and marveled that Leia had so casually given her so many beautiful things. Rey had received very few gifts in her life, and she teared up at the thoughtfulness behind Leia’s gesture, despite the somewhat embarrassing nature of some of her choices. 

Carefully considering the items in front of her, Rey elected to bank on the hope that they would make it to the beach today. She slid on the fancy bikini and then chose a simple white wrap dress to wear over it. Glancing at herself in the full-length mirror in the corner, she decided Leia had good taste. She carefully packed the remaining clothing carefully back into the shopping bag and walked across the hall to find Leia sitting in the armchair in the den.

“You look lovely!” Leia gushed as Rey took her seat on the settee. 

“I don’t know how to thank you for all of this.” Rey gestured at the shopping bag she had set at her feet.

“It’s my pleasure, Rey,” Leia smiled.

“I’m just not used to being taken care of, I guess,” Rey admitted. 

Leia studied her. “And why do you think that is?”

“I’ve been on my own as long as I can remember,” Rey said, looking at her feet.

“Why is that?” Leia pushed.

Rey took a deep breath and looked at Leia. She knew the woman was trying to help her by pulling the past out of her, like draining an infected wound. That didn’t mean it was going to be easy. 

“I got moved around a lot,” Rey started. “Most of the foster parents I was with didn’t keep me for long. Except Plutt. He kept me for too long.” She shuddered, remembering the long, hot nights working in Plutt’s chop shop in Jakku. 

“What do you think your foster parents taught you about being taken care of?” Leia pushed her.

“Nothing,” Rey gritted out.

“You sound angry, Rey,” Leia observed. “Tell me where that’s coming from.”

“My foster parents were supposed to take care of me, to protect me, to love me,” Rey howled, her voice cracking on the last three words. “But they didn’t. They just wanted the money.”

“And what did that experience teach you about being taken care of?” Leia asked again.

“That I can’t count on people,” Rey spat. “That no one cares what happens to me.”

“Do you care what happens to you?” Leia inquired softly. 

Rey opened her mouth to answer and then snapped it shut. Thinking back over the past month, she examined her behavior: skipping meals, working constantly, blaming herself for everything that went wrong. It painted a bleak picture of her estimation of her self-worth, and she cringed.

“So if I asked you if you deserve to be cared for, what would you say?” Leia prodded.

“No,” Rey sobbed out as Leia’s question split open one of her deepest scars. 

“Oh, my dear,” Leia said compassionately, coming to sit beside her on the settee. “You are so very wrong about that.”

Leia put an arm around Rey’s heaving shoulders. “You deserve to be cherished. I haven’t even known you a day, but I can already see that.”

Squeezing Rey in a side hug, Leia continued. “I’m sorry to push you so hard on this, Rey, but I want to help you understand how you got to the point where you felt you couldn’t go on. That’s how you’re going to move forward.” 

Nodding tearfully, Rey said wisely, “I know. Sometimes it has to hurt before it heals.”

“And you will heal if you realize that you deserve to be whole,” Leia soothed. “Let me put it this way: Would you ever treat your best friend the way you’ve treated yourself?”

Rey gasped as the pieces snapped into place and her perspective shifted. She looked inside herself as she never had before. Curled up in the darkest corner of her heart, she found a little girl who was afraid that she would never be good enough to be loved. Rey had never truly seen that version of herself, never taken care of her, never treated her like a friend. Never loved her. 

Full of awe, Rey raised her eyes to meet Leia’s. “I think I understand now.”

“So what are you going to do differently?” Leia asked, holding Rey’s gaze steadily.

“Take better care of myself, I guess,” Rey said lamely.

“And what does that look like?” Leia pressed, raising an eyebrow.

“I, well, um,” Rey stammered uncertainly.

“Let’s start with the next few days. What could you do to take care of yourself?” Leia inquired.

“Eat, I guess. Sleep. Take my medicine,” Rey listed. 

“That’s an excellent foundation for self-care, but I’m going to ask you for more. What helps you relax? What brings you joy?” Leia pushed her.

“My animals make me happy, but I don’t have time or money for much else besides them with my job,” Rey responded honestly. 

“You veterinarians,” Leia huffed. “Working night and day for peanuts, never setting any boundaries between your job and your life.”

Rey shrugged. She couldn’t argue. Leia had described her life in a nutshell.

“And what are you planning to do, come Monday, young lady?” Leia scolded, crossing her arms over her chest in a manner that told Rey that she already knew the answer. 

Rey swallowed dryly. No one had called her “young lady” in that tone since her second grade teacher caught her licking the business end of a glue stick. 

“I was planning on going back to work?” Rey’s statement turned into a squeaky question under the force of Leia’s glare.

“I see,” Leia’s voice was dangerously calm now. “And do you really think that’s what good self-care looks like?”

“No,” Rey said nervously, “but I don’t know what else to do. The clinic won’t run itself.”

“Have you thought of asking for help?” Leia questioned Rey seriously.

“I-” Rey started, then shook her head. “No, I guess I hadn’t. I thought I could handle it on my own.”

“That clinic is way too much work for one person,” Leia stated firmly. “Luke had a terrible time running that place on his own after Ben left. That’s why he ended up retiring, you know.”

That was an interesting thought. Maybe it wasn’t that Rey wasn’t strong enough to run the practice on her own. Maybe it was just too big of a task for any one person. Maybe she should ask for help. 

“Luke never told me that,” Rey said quietly. “He didn’t tell me a lot of things.”

“I know, Rey,” Leia responded, shaking her head sadly. “He told me he handled things poorly with you.”

“He said that?” Rey asked incredulously and immediately regretted her tone. “Oh shit! I’m sorry. He’s your brother.”

Leia surprised Rey by waving away her concern and chuckling. “It’s all right. He may be my brother, but I know he can be difficult. Especially these last few years.”

Rey nodded, carefully considering the new information Leia had given her about Luke. Even though she didn’t appreciate Luke’s behavior toward her, she could certainly empathize with the strain he had been under. 

“Please at least think about what you can do to reduce your burden at work,” Leia implored her. “I don’t want to see you run yourself into the ground again.”

“I’ll think about it,” Rey promised. 

“Your other task is to spend the day taking care of yourself,” Leia told her resolutely. “Just for one day, I want you to see how it feels not to take care of anyone else.”

Rey wasn’t sure she even knew where to start, but she nodded anyway, realizing there was no sense in trying to argue with Leia right now.

“I think that’s probably enough for today, don’t you?” Leia asked, and Rey murmured in agreement. “Why don’t you take the rest of your clothes upstairs while I have a word with Ben?”

Rey nodded again, rising from the settee and helping Leia to her feet. Grabbing the bag of clothes, Rey exited the den and headed back to the guest room. 

As Rey finally made her way down the curving staircase, she spotted Ben leaning against the banister at the bottom. He had his back to her and he was running a hand through his hair, a sign that Rey had learned to associate with agitation. 

“Everything okay?” she asked when she reached him, startling him out of his reverie.

Looking her up and down with dark eyes, he flashed her a grin and said, “It is now.”

She returned his smile but refused to be sidetracked. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah. My mom still wants me to make up with my uncle.” He rolled his eyes. “Just the usual family drama. No big deal.”

“As long as you’re sure,” Rey said carefully, scanning his face.

“I’d much rather talk about how beautiful you look right now,” he said, the heat back in his eyes. 

He grabbed her swiftly by the waist and pulled her body flush with his, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. Closing her eyes, she responded immediately to the pressure of his mouth against hers and parted her lips. When her tongue brushed along his upper lip, he moaned into her mouth and pulled away. 

“As much as I’d like to continue this right now, I’d much rather be someplace more private,” Ben husked out.

“What were you thinking?” Rey inquired.

“My family has a private beach by the lake. I was wondering if you wanted to spend the day there,” Ben invited. 

“That sounds amazing!” Rey gushed. “I’ve been dying to spend more time by the water since I moved to Minnesota, but things have just been so crazy.”

“I’m ready when you are,” he said, gesturing at a small cooler and an overstuffed canvas beach bag. They each grabbed one, and Ben led the way out the back door and down a paved path to the lakeshore. 

Ben hadn’t been kidding when he said the sandy little beach was private. It was at the bottom of a hill and wooded on both sides, protected from the view of the house and the neighbors. Rey noted a hammock strung between two trees at the edge of the sandy expanse. A short dock with a speed boat moored to it jutted into the water at the center of the beach. 

Rey ran the last few meters to the water, dropping the bag into the sand before she reached the shore. Laughing with joy, she splashed her way in, enjoying the feeling of the cool water lapping at her calves. She looked back over her shoulder to find Ben grinning crookedly at her.

“You’d think you’d never been in a lake before!” he joked.

“I haven’t!” Rey giggled as he looked at her in shock. “I grew up in the desert.”

Rey had just registered the mischievous glint in his eye when he began to sprint toward her. She squealed and ran away from him, along the edge of the beach. Given that she was ankle deep in water and his legs were longer, she was at a distinct disadvantage. 

He caught her quickly and lifted her into his arms, wading out until he was waist deep in the lake. She wriggled wildly against him, but his strong arms held her tightly to his chest. She screamed as he bent over and dunked her in. 

“You unruly giant!” she sputtered as she resurfaced, beating at his chest and glaring. “Put me down right now!”

Grinning with infuriating enthusiasm, Ben obeyed, setting her gently on her feet. As soon as she felt her heels sink into the sand, she pounced on him, throwing her weight into his abs. She only saw his stunned expression for a moment before he toppled over, and they both went under.

When Rey surfaced this time, she was laughing helplessly, and to her great surprise, when Ben followed her, so was he. He looked unbelievably sexy when smiled, doubly so when he was dripping wet, his clothes clinging tightly to him. Rey was sure she probably resembled a drowned rat, but she was too busy enjoying the moment to care. 

When his laughter finally subsided to a wide grin, Ben said, “That was impressive. I can’t remember the last time someone tackled me.”

“You’ll find I’m full of surprises,” Rey said smugly. 

“Truce?” Ben asked, holding out his hand out to her.

“Truce,” she affirmed, entwining his fingers with her own. 

Handfast, they waded back toward the shore. When they reached the beach, Rey noticed Ben peering at her with wide eyes. She looked down at herself, suddenly remembering she was wearing white, which left very little to the imagination now that she was soaked. 

Biting her lip, Rey grabbed the belt at the waist of her wrap dress and untied it. The garment fell open, revealing the bronze and gold bikini beneath. She thought Ben’s eyes might fall out of his head from staring so hard. Deliberately, she peeled the dress from her shoulders and let it slide to the ground. 

Rey had thought she would feel exposed in only the swimsuit, but she couldn’t have been more wrong. She felt extraordinarily powerful as she watched Ben struggle to control himself. Ragged breaths escaped between his lips as he slowly reached for her. 

His fingertips gently skimmed from her cheek down to her shoulder and then along her arm until he reached her waist. Pulling her to him roughly, he crushed his lips against hers, his tongue immediately seeking entrance into her mouth. Rey enthusiastically responded, parting her lips to allow him in. 

Ben kissed her with a desperation she’d never seen in him before, an insatiable hunger that left her boneless and trembling. She wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to hold herself up as he palmed her breasts. When he ran his thumbs across her nipples through her bikini top, she moaned into his mouth. 

He broke the kiss then and rested his forehead against hers, panting softly. “Fuck, Rey, you’re going to kill me with that bikini! How is that thing even legal?”

Rey chuckled softly and met his gaze evenly. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”

“You think so?” he asked teasingly. Stepping back from her, he peeled off his wet shirt. “How about now?”

She tilted her head, studying the planes of his chiseled chest and abs and humming thoughtfully. “Yeah, that’s pretty good, but I think you need to lose the shorts,” she joked with a feral grin.

Rey choked on her words as he stripped off his shorts, revealing a black speedo that left almost nothing to the imagination. She felt her jaw go slack as she studied the muscular V that tapered down toward his strong thighs. 

“You’ve been wearing that under there all day?” Rey purred as he nodded. “Why didn’t I ask you to take off your pants sooner?”

He just smirked and said, “Come with me.”

She followed him to where the hammock hung and watched as he flopped down into it carelessly. It swung wildly, and Rey eyed it suspiciously. Once it was swaying gently again, Ben opened his arms, inviting her in with him. She hesitated, unsure of how to get in without dumping them both in the sand.

“Trust me,” he prompted. Nervously, she crawled on top of him, placing her backside against his pelvis as she settled into his grasp. The hammock tilted dangerously, but when he shifted their position, it righted itself and rocked innocently. 

“Relax,” he whispered in her ear, placing a kiss against her temple. He ran his hands soothingly along her arms as the sun soaked into her skin. She felt the tension slowly leave her body.

“Good girl,” he praised her, and she shivered pleasantly in his grasp. 

His fingertips once again wandered to her breast, this time tracing lightly along the bottom edge of each swell. He caressed her gently, skating across the delicate flesh, and she felt goosebumps rise on her arms. When he began to trace rings around her nipple, the soft peaks pebbled, and she sighed happily, sinking further into him.

“That’s it, be a good girl and relax for me, and I’ll give you what you want,” he said, his warm breath tickling her ear pleasantly.

He pulled the triangles of her bikini top off to the side, so he was touching her bare skin. The sensation of his fingertips against her multiplied without the fabric barrier, and she could feel the wetness beginning to pool between her legs. When he finally rolled her nipple between his thumb and forefinger, she moaned loudly. 

“More?” he asked, and she nodded languidly. 

His free hand connected with her other breast, and the fire in her core doubled in intensity. He played with her hardened peaks relentlessly, pulling all manner of pleasured noises from her throat. When she began to arch into his touch, he stilled.

“Relax,” he commanded in a deep voice. “Relax and I’ll give you more.” 

She obeyed, forcing the tension from her muscles and melting into him.

“There’s my good girl,” he husked. She whimpered at his words, the delicious praise going straight to her center. 

While one of his hands stayed at her breast, the other slowly trailed down her stomach and snuck into her bikini bottom. Rey quivered with anticipation as his fingers swept over her mound and dipped into her slick folds. He drew the wetness upward and painted tight, firm circles around her clit. 

She groaned in relief at his expert touch, grateful that he was such a quick study of her preferences. Every so often, he punctuated his circles with a swipe across her clit, and she had to force herself to avoid jolting at the intensely pleasurable touch. Ben hummed his approval and began to lick at her earlobe. 

With each stroke of his fingers, each slide of his hot tongue, each word of murmured praise, Rey climbed higher. When she began to grind her ass into his steadily hardening length, he pressed his hand firmly against her pelvis. Nipping her earlobe, he chastised her, “You naughty thing. This is supposed to be just for you.”

“You don’t seem to mind,” Rey pointed out between gasps, but she stilled her hips at his command anyway. 

When he slipped two fingers into her entrance and pressed his thumb to her clit, she cried out his name helplessly. He began to pump the digits in and out of her while strumming her sensitive bud with his thumb. The friction against her walls, against her clit, against her nipples, had the tension steadily coiling in her abdomen. 

She could still feel his deliciously firm erection pressing into her backside, and it was with great effort that she resisted rolling over to straddle him. She couldn’t help imagining it, though: how it would feel to ride him hard, her breasts bouncing as she squeezed his cock with her innermost muscles. 

As if hearing her thoughts, Ben whispered hoarsely in her ear, “Be a good girl and come on my hand, and later I’ll let you come on my cock.” 

At his words, Rey’s orgasm hit with overwhelming force. She clamped down on his fingers as a wail of ecstasy tore from her throat. He continued to stroke her until her climax subsided completely and she lay limp in his arms. 

Ben slipped his hand out of her bikini bottom and rearranged her top to cover her breasts once again. He tightened his arms around her torso and kissed her cheek lovingly. Rey closed her eyes, focusing on the feeling of the sun warming her skin as Ben’s body pressed against hers. Overcome by a wave of contentment, Rey drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, readers, for your time reading this fic! I appreciate all the hits, kudos, comments, and bookmarks. 
> 
> Thank you, bellestar, for being the most amazing beta I could ask for!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please mind the tags! This chapter contains sexually explicit content. Bring on the shower smut!

When Rey finally walked the paved path away from the beach, hand in hand with Ben, she found she felt lighter than she had in years. Maybe there was something to Leia’s idea about taking care of herself, but Rey wasn’t quite sure she was ready to admit that to the older woman. 

As it turned out, Rey didn’t have to worry about what to say to Leia because when they returned to the house, only Wicket the cat was there to greet them. The fluffy feline twined around their legs and purred happily, making Rey miss her own pets. 

Ben must have seen the longing in her gaze because he wrapped his arm around her and sighed, “I miss my animals, too. It’s just not the same without Phasma and Hux.”

“Tell me about them,” Rey requested as they made their way up the stairs to the guest room with Wicket in tow. 

“Phasma’s my Weimaraner. I’ve had her since she was a pup. She’s quite the guard dog; loyal to the bone,” Ben explained. “Hux is my ginger tabby. He’s, well... he’s a pain in the ass, to be honest, but I Iove him for it. He hisses and swipes at me every time I walk by, but then every morning, he’s curled up on my pillow.” 

Rey giggled at his description, her heart melting at the thought of Ben snuggled in bed with his dog and cat. As she closed the door to the guest room, she wondered what it would be like to wake up each morning with him, their bed littered with all of their pets. It was difficult to visualize a more pleasant scenario. 

Then again, when Ben started to unwrap the towel from his waist, she thought that perhaps she could imagine a few. Her face warmed as her gaze swept from the planes of his chest and abs down to his hips, and followed the lines of muscle there to the massive bulge barely hidden by his speedo. Unconsciously, Rey licked her lips as her eyes lingered. 

“See something you like?” Ben teased as Rey pulled her gaze upward to take in his smug little smirk. That wouldn’t do. 

“Oh, I don’t know. Do you?” She shrugged casually as she dropped her towel, unveiling her bikini. His hands balled into fists at his sides as he restrained himself. When she began to untie her top, a strangled groan tore from his throat.

“Let me,” he begged, rapidly closing the distance between them. He gently batted her hands away, replacing them with his own. His fingers made quick work of the strings, and her top dropped to the ground. Her bikini bottom quickly followed as he tugged it down, kneeling before her like a knight before his queen. 

When he raised his eyes to hers, her heart rate doubled at the heat she saw smoldering there. Placing open-mouthed kisses against her bare skin, he worked his way up her thighs, over her hips, and along her taut stomach. When he reached her breasts, he cupped them with his palms and took one of the rosy peaks delicately between his teeth. She gasped in pleasure, and his impenitent smirk returned. As his tongue snaked out to lap at her nipple, Rey thought she would lose her mind with anticipation. 

Unable to resist, she threaded her hands through his dark locks and pulled his face closer to her chest. He obliged her enthusiastically, pulling the pebbled flesh into his mouth. Stroking the hardened peak with his tongue as he sucked, he elicited sensations that Rey had never before experienced. When he pinched her other nipple lightly, Rey’s knees buckled. 

Ben caught her effortlessly, slipping one arm beneath her knees and the other beneath her shoulders. He cradled her to his naked chest as he stood upright, and she nuzzled his neck lovingly. She felt his pulse quicken against her lips as she pressed them to the skin beneath his jaw. Grinning roguishly, she sucked the flesh into her mouth, extracting a husky moan from him as she marked him. 

Kicking the guest bathroom door open, Ben strode inside with Rey in his arms. Just before he reached the shower door, he set her lightly on her feet and reached inside to turn on the water. With his other arm, he pulled her flush against him, and he captured her lips in a fierce kiss. Her ardor matched his, their tongues fighting for dominance. 

When she began to grind her hips against his rapidly hardening length, he chuckled wickedly and whispered in her ear, “Care to join me in the shower?”

Shivering at the lust in his voice, she could only nod. She watched as he stripped off his speedo, giving her an unhindered view of the flesh that the scrap of cloth had been hiding from her. She reached out to stroke his stiff manhood, reveling in the feeling of the hard flesh sliding through her fingers. He groaned hoarsely and kissed her firmly, gripping her waist as he guided her backward into the shower. 

Eyes closed, Rey felt the warm water cascade over her as Ben backed her into the wall of the shower. She reveled in the sensation of the cool tile at her back in contrast to Ben’s hot skin against her belly and breasts. She looped her arms around his neck as he pressed closer, his lips, tongue, and teeth grazing every piece of her flesh that he could reach. 

Rey’s eyes snapped open when he slid his hands beneath her ass and hoisted her off the ground. She squealed in delight at the new angle when the head of his cock bumped against her clit, and he flashed her a feral grin. She’d never seen him this hungry for her before, and she found it utterly intoxicating to know that she was making him lose control.

Her hips writhing against his, she shamelessly rubbed her swollen bud against his hard length, spreading her slick arousal across him. She moaned wantonly as the friction sent electricity spiraling to her core. The way Ben thrusted recklessly against her told her everything she needed to know. 

She leaned forward and slid her tongue along the shell of his ear. Surprising even herself, she panted, “Do you want to feel my wet pussy squeezing your cock?”

“Fuck, Rey, I need you so bad!” he croaked desperately.

“Then take me, Ben,” she breathed, nipping his earlobe. 

Before she could say another word, he shifted his hips and plunged into her. She keened as her walls stretched pleasantly to accommodate his girth. Meeting no resistance, he sheathed himself completely inside her, and Rey felt more full than she ever had before. 

Her eyes widened and she swallowed thickly as he gripped her waist tightly with both hands and began to pound into her. He grunted with each stroke, and she whimpered in unison as he repeatedly drove into the sensitive spot inside her that he was so good at finding. 

She wove her fingers into his hair and tugged, making him groan and hammer into her harder. Her breasts bounced against her ribcage every time he bottomed out, and her moans were dangerously close to becoming screams. She muffled herself by latching onto his neck with her mouth, which only made him thrust harder. 

Ben’s punishing pace was driving her quickly toward her peak, and she began to squeeze her inner walls against his firm length, drawing increasingly sharp groans from him. She reached down between them to touch herself, and as she circled the sensitive bundle of nerves, she watched him pump in and out of her. The sensation of her fingers on her clit, along with the sight of him inside her, was enough to push her over the edge. She cried out, clamping down on him like a vice. 

She looked down into his wild, darkened eyes, expecting his climax to come racing after hers, but he only bit his lip and continued to pound into her. She dug her heels into his back, overwhelmed by the sensation of his relentless blows through her orgasm. Her mouth locked into a shocked O-shape when she felt a new, more intense wave of pleasure building within her. 

Sweat from exertion and water from the shower mixed and flowed in rivulets down their bodies as they maintained their frantic rhythm. Ben growled when Rey raked her blunt nails across his shoulder blades, and he dipped his head down to take one of her nipples into his mouth. She arched up to meet him, shifting the angle between them, and causing his pelvis to grind into her swollen bud. 

The pleasure was almost unbearable as he continued his ferocious thrusts, bringing her to new heights. She could almost feel him swell inside her as his strokes became deeper, harder, and more erratic. He came inside her with a roar, and she followed helplessly with a scream when she felt his hot spend paint her walls. 

They clung to each other tightly, the intensity of their coupling overwhelming them both. She rested her forehead against his, their chests heaving as they tried to catch their breath. Ben lifted her off his softening manhood, setting her gently on her feet and then immediately sweeping her into a passionate kiss. Feeling absolutely satiated and boneless, Rey melted into him. 

When their lips finally parted, he smiled down at her, his eyes shining with fondness. Mirroring his warm expression, she took his hand and guided him under the water. She carefully massaged soap into his skin and shampoo into his hair, washing him tenderly. He returned the favor, and she sighed happily, reveling in the feeling of his hands trailing through her wet tresses. The way Ben took care of her was foreign to her, but the feeling was a welcome one. 

After they stepped out of the shower, he carefully dried her from head to toe with a soft towel. As he dried himself off, she began combing her hair, only to be stopped by a strong hand closing over hers. 

“Let me,” he said, kissing her temple and taking the comb from her fingers. Gently, he worked the tangles out of her hair until it fell smoothly over her shoulders. With skilled fingers, he began to plait her hair into French braid that swept from one side of her head to the other. It curled around one side of her neck, neatly covering Ben’s lovebites. By the time he was finished, Rey was glowing with contentment. Maybe she could get used to this kind of treatment. 

“Where did you learn to do that?” she asked curiously.

“My mother taught me to braid her hair when I was very young,” he said wistfully. “I haven’t done it in years.”

“Well, it’s lovely,” she said shyly. “No one’s ever braided my hair before.”

“Didn’t your mother-” Ben started to ask, but he was interrupted by a knock on the guest room door.

Leia’s voice sounded through the door. “Dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes, you two, so make sure you’re decent by then.” 

Rey blushed, and Ben said dryly, “She’s persistent, I’ll give her that.”

Ten minutes later, the freshly-dressed couple was chatting animatedly as they made their way toward the kitchen. 

“All I’m saying is, tarantulas don’t really fall under purview of veterinary medicine, so you can’t count that as your weirdest case,” Rey argued. 

“What do you mean? They’re fuzzy! They count,” Ben maintained.

“It was dead! That doesn’t count,” Rey declared. 

“In my defense, I didn’t know that at the time,” Ben replied.

“It hadn’t moved for a week and its leg fell off! You don’t get to count that one,” Rey retorted.

“You can’t outdo my stories, newbie,” Ben proclaimed. 

“Want to bet?” Rey challenged. “Let me tell you about a little case I like to refer to as the Zombie Dog.”

“The Zombie-” Ben froze mid-sentence, just outside the kitchen, his eyes widening. 

“Ben?” Rey questioned, seeing his expression.

“She didn’t,” he said cryptically, gaping at the entrance to the kitchen. 

“She didn’t what?” Rey asked nervously, looking between Ben and the doorway. When a gray-haired man appeared in front of them, Ben stiffened visibly.

“Hey, kid,” the older man said hesitantly. Rey recognized him from the pictures in the photo albums Leia had shown her. So this was Ben’s father. 

“What are you doing here?” Ben blurted out roughly, making Rey frown. Wasn’t he glad to see his father?

“Your mother called me, told me you were in town,” Ben’s father said gruffly. “It’s been a long time; I wanted to see you.”

“Why?” Ben said acidly. Rey couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She would kill to have a father who wanted to see her. 

The older man shifted awkwardly, uncertain of what to say. When his eyes settled on Rey, he cleared his throat and stepped toward her to introduce himself. “Han Solo. I’m Ben’s father.”

“I’m Rey,” she said simply, shaking his hand. She never used her last name if she didn’t have to. It was just a reminder of her broken childhood, of the parents who threw her away like garbage. 

Han flashed her a crooked grin and said, “So you’re Ben’s girl.”

Rey smiled shyly in return, and she felt Ben’s arm wrap around her waist. She liked the idea of being his girlfriend, but they really would have to talk about that title soon. 

“Nice choice, kid. She’s pretty,” Han continued, and Rey blushed, looking at her feet. 

“Watch it, old man,” Ben said warningly, narrowing his eyes. 

Han held up his hands in surrender. “Hey, I just call it like I see it. Come on, your mom’s got dinner on the table.”

When they arrived in the dining room, Rey gasped. It looked like something out of a magazine; Leia had clearly spent a lot of time preparing for this meal. 

“Leia, it looks amazing,” Rey gushed. “Thank you for making dinner.”

Leia smiled warmly in return and gestured for Rey to sit. Ben pulled out a chair for her, and she murmured her gratitude, feeling more and more like a princess with each passing minute.

After they passed the food around the table, Leia called for a toast. “I just wanted to say how wonderful it is to have us all together at this table again and to welcome a new member to our family.”

“So Rey’s gonna make an honest man outta you?” Han crowed at Ben. “I knew she had to be something special if you brought her back here!” Rey’s eyes widened. 

“Dad, no, I think you’ve got the wrong idea,” Ben stammered, turning red. “I mean, yes, Rey is special, but no, we aren’t getting married.” Rey was flabbergasted. Ben thought she was special?

“Why not? Don’t you think your mom and I have waited long enough for grandkids?” Han inquired, sounding disappointed. Rey almost choked on a potato. Ben’s parents were certainly enthusiastic about his love life. 

“Dad! Enough,” Ben snapped. 

Swiftly changing the subject, Leia asked, “So, Ben, how’s work going?”

“Yeah, still destroying small businesses for profit?” Han snarked with his mouth full, and Rey’s eyebrows shot up.

“Han!” Leia said sharply. 

“Sorry, but it’s true,” Han mumbled grumpily around his food. Leia gave him a look that left no room for argument. 

“You were saying, dear?” Leia looked expectantly at Ben. Rey realized that although Ben had told her that he had quit his job, Ben’s parents didn’t know that detail.

Ben took a deep breath and admitted softly, “I don’t actually do that anymore.”

“What?” Leia asked, dropping her fork. Han looked equally stunned. 

“I don’t work for First Order Veterinary Corporation anymore. I quit,” Ben gritted out. A shocked silence settled over the table, and Ben looked away uncomfortably. Rey’s hand found Ben’s under the table, and her fingers entwined with his. 

“Han, I’d like to hear more about what you do,” Rey said, hoping to divert the conversation to something less painful for Ben. She felt Ben squeeze her hand gratefully. 

“I build custom motorcycles,” Han stated. 

Rey’s eyes lit up. “No way! Really?”

“Absolutely! Been doing it since I was younger than you,” Han answered enthusiastically.

“Wait. Did you build that chrome bike I saw in the photo album?” Rey wondered, remembering the beautiful motorcycle she had seen in the background of the picture with Ben and Han. 

“The Falcon? No, I didn’t build her, but she was my first bike. Won her in a poker game, believe it or not. But I’ve made my own modifications since then,” Han explained fervently. 

“What are her specs?” Rey inquired, leaning toward Han. He eagerly ran through the specifications of the Falcon, and Rey listened raptly, firing questions at him as he spoke. She saw Ben staring at her, his mouth agape, but Rey was too caught up in the conversation to react. 

When she began asking about specific parts and modifications, Han whistled in appreciation. “Damn, Ben. This girl’s a keeper. I might marry her, if you don’t hurry up.” 

Rey snorted in mirth, and Leia rolled her eyes. In her peripheral vision, Rey noticed Ben clench his jaw and run his free hand through his black locks, a sure sign that he was working hard to control his emotions. 

“I rode the Falcon out here today. I can show her to you after dinner, if you’d like,” Han said hopefully, and Rey squealed in delight. 

“Where did you learn so much about motorcycles anyway, kid?” Han inquired, and the grin slid from Rey’s face. 

“Oh,” Rey said in a small voice. “I worked in a shop when I was a kid.”

“Was your old man a mechanic?” Han asked, and Rey simply shook her head, looking down sadly. She wished she’d had a father like Han to teach her the ropes, instead of Plutt screaming at her to clean engine components faster in the chop shop.

“Well, whoever you learned from must be awfully proud. You know a hell of a lot,” Han said kindly, and Rey burst into tears as her heart ached painfully. Unable to face another second, Rey ran headlong from the room, leaving three stunned faces in her wake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to each of you for taking the time to read my story! I appreciate all the hits, kudos, and comments. They motivate me to keep writing. 
> 
> A special thanks to my beta @bellestar for all of her support and encouragement. You make writing this so much fun!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please mind the tags! This chapter has sexually explicit content. That means MORE sweet, delicious smutmuffins for you, readers!

Rey curled up in the oversized armchair in the guest room and cried, trying to forget the looks on the faces of her hosts when she had left the dining room. It was just all too much, seeing the little family together when she didn’t have one of her own. That wound was an old and ugly one, and Rey worried it like an aching tooth.

When she heard the door open, Rey folded in on herself, not ready to face anyone yet. She recognized Ben’s familiar scent before she heard his characteristic deep voice speak her name. When he rested a hand on her shoulder, she flinched away from him. 

“Rey? What’s going on?” he said softly. Beneath the concern in his voice, she could hear the hurt. Rey simply shook her head, her eyes squeezed tightly shut. 

Ben sighed deeply. “I’m sorry about my family. I know they can be… a lot… sometimes. You know how parents get.”

Rey opened her eyes to glare at him and snapped, “Actually, Ben, I don’t.”

“What do you mean?” he asked, his brows furrowing. 

“I mean my alcoholic parents abandoned me at a truck stop when I was five years old,” she began, her voice dangerous. Ben’s eyes widened. “I mean I was put into foster care, not that my foster parents seemed to ‘care’ about much besides the money they were getting.” 

She stood, rising to her full height and scowling at him. “I got moved around a lot, and every time, they put my stuff in a trash bag, like I was garbage.” Ben swallowed, his Adam’s apple bouncing uncomfortably in his throat as Rey raged on. 

“I never stayed with a family for more than a year, until Unkar Plutt. I’m sure he would have gotten rid of me, too, if I hadn’t been so handy. I worked in that damn chop shop in Jakku every night, with nothing to show for it but burns and scars. I had to apply to colleges in secret and take a bus in the middle of the night to get away from that bastard.” 

Rey was pacing now, her toxic past spewing from her mouth as she stalked the length of the room. She could feel Ben’s intense gaze on her, but she was too angry to look at him. “I’ve never had a home or people who care about me. So you’ll have to forgive me if I don’t know what you mean when you say, ‘you know how parents get’.” 

She stopped in front of him and stared into his astonished face as she spat accusingly, “You had a family who loved you! They gave a damn about you! They still do, and you have no clue how lucky you are!” Rey’s words broke into a sob, and she turned away from him, wrapping her arms around her torso protectively. 

She could almost hear him running his hand through his hair as he exhaled shakily. “Rey, you have to understand that things weren’t always the way they look now.” Even though she kept her back to him as she wept, she listened carefully to every word. 

“My parents weren’t around much when I was growing up,” Ben explained bitterly. “Mom was busy building her practice. Dad was traveling to shows. When they were home, they fought a lot, especially when Dad was drinking.” 

Even though Rey didn’t have many memories from her time with her parents, she did remember hiding in the closet during their fights. The shouts, the breaking glass, and the fear were hard to forget. Despite her anger, her heart ached when she envisioned a young Ben living through the same hell.

“By the time I turned fifteen, their marriage was hanging by a thread. That summer, they sent me away to Luke’s because he was this great vet, and they knew I wanted to be one. He trained me as his assistant, but he never treated me like family.” 

Rey knew what it was like to be shuffled around, to feel unwanted by the people who were supposed to care the most. She never would have imagined that Ben had grown up feeling the same way. Turning to face him, she tried to catch his eye, but he was staring fixedly out the window as he spoke.

“I should have known when Luke hired me after vet school that it wouldn’t last, that he wouldn’t want me around, either. After he fired me, no one bothered to ask for my side of the story, not even my own parents. I was so angry that, when First Order Veterinary Corporation offered me a job in L.A., I didn’t hesitate to walk away from my family.”

She could see the tension in every line of his body as he recounted his experiences. Rey knew all too well how it felt to be betrayed, to want to burn the past to ash. Suddenly she understood what he had meant that day in the clinic when he told her to let the past die.

“Three years later, Snoke had made me CEO, and he sent me to take over Luke’s old clinic. I thought once it was over, I could leave it all behind me.” Ben turned around suddenly and his soulful brown eyes bored into hers. 

“But then I saw you standing in front of me: this fiery, open-hearted, beautiful woman. And when I looked into your eyes, I saw something I hadn’t seen in a long time: hope. It made me wonder if I could move beyond my bitterness, become more than my rage. So I watched you. I couldn’t help myself; I was completely captivated.” Rey felt her mouth drop open in shock at his words.

“Don’t get me wrong, I behaved terribly toward you. I thought I could keep some distance between us that way, that I could still complete my mission. Then I found you that day, curled up in a dog kennel with Chewie, crying about how you were alone.” His eyes started to glisten as he said it, and Rey felt her heart contract.

“I had been in your shoes; I knew how hard it was working that job. And in that moment, I wanted nothing more than to take you into my arms and show you that you weren’t alone. When I kissed you, for the first time in my life, I felt like I might belong somewhere, belong with someone.” Ben’s voice cracked on the last word, and his jaw trembled with emotion.

“You do, Ben. You belong with me,” Rey answered, holding out her hand to him. 

Ben’s lost eyes searched hers desperately as the moment stretched on. 

“Be with me,” she said simply, a tear rolling down her cheek. “Please.”

He took her hand, pulled her into a tight embrace, and whispered brokenly, “Always.”

She wrapped her arms snugly around his torso and hugged him back. Placing her ear against his chest, she listened to his steady heart, beating in time with her own. He rested his chin on the crown of her head and drew soothing circles on her shoulders. 

Once Rey finally felt Ben relax in her grasp, she pulled away slightly to gaze up at him. Reaching up with both hands, she gently held his face, falling into his warm brown eyes. He tilted his head down and kissed her softly, his lips caressing hers like a light breeze. She returned his affections without hesitation, putting all of the tenderness she felt into their kiss. 

He tentatively stroked his tongue against her upper lip, and she sighed contentedly into his mouth, allowing him entrance. Their tongues moved rhythmically together, each brush a step in their loving dance. They progressed unhurriedly, exploring each other’s mouths as if the moment would last forever. 

When Rey finally released his lips, it was to place gentle, open-mouthed kisses along the line of his jaw. She drew her caresses down his neck, and she felt his pulse quicken beneath her lips. He pulled her more tightly against him, as if he couldn’t bear for their bodies to have even a breath of air between them. 

As she reached the juncture between his neck and shoulders with her kisses, she slid her hands beneath his shirt. She reveled in the feeling of her fingertips against his bare skin as she traced the contours of his abdominal muscles. Moving upward, she slowly lifted his shirt, stepping back briefly so he could raise it over his head. She ran her hands over the newly exposed flesh, marveling at the chiseled planes of chest. 

Leaning down, Ben grasped the hem of her dress and tugged upward, peeling the fabric from her body and letting it flutter to the ground. As she stood before him wearing only a lacy red bra and matching panties, Rey watched his eyes darken with desire. He reached out and traced the curves of her body with his fingertips, making her shiver in delight. 

“Ben, let me show you that we belong together,” she entreated him, gazing up through her lashes.

“We’ll show each other,” he replied ardently, taking her into his arms and slanting his mouth over hers. His lips were more eager than before, but they were still gentle against hers. Rey responded in kind, returning his caresses with passion and tenderness. 

Never breaking their kiss, she unfastened his pants and let them slide quietly to the ground. She carefully pushed his underwear down, freeing his rapidly hardening manhood. He followed suit, nimbly unclasping her bra and removing her panties. They both sighed happily, their naked bodies pressed flush with each other. She ran her hands up his tattooed arms and shoulders, ghosting over the feathered pattern of his angel wings. 

Gently pushing her weight against Ben, she walked him back toward the bed. When his calves made contact with the bed frame, he fell back onto the mattress, pulling Rey lightly on top of him. Placing her knees on either side of his hips, she straddled him, humming gratefully as her center made contact with his erection. 

She leaned down to kiss him again, her lips lingering as their chests touched, sending electricity from her breasts to her belly. She ground her hips languidly against his, the friction between their skin making them both groan with pleasure. Rey could feel wetness pooling between her legs, trickling onto Ben’s cock, spreading as she canted her hips. 

He reached up between them, cupping her breasts in his hands. He ran his thumbs over her nipples, and she felt them tighten in response to his ministrations. Dipping his head down, he kissed each of her pebbled peaks softly before taking one between his lips. He suckled her nipple gently, lapping at it with his tongue, making her grind her hips harder against him. 

When she began to arch into him, he transferred his mouth to her other breast, still teasing the first peak with his fingertips. The feeling of his lips and hands on her breasts, his cock sliding through her folds, and his quiet moans against her skin were beyond decadent. She felt lightheaded as she drank in his heady scent, every nerve in her body overloaded with sensation. 

“Be with me, Ben,” Rey moaned out desperately. 

Her breast slipped from his mouth as he tilted his head up to capture her gaze. “I’m here, Rey. Always.”

Raising her pelvis, she wrapped her fingers around his manhood, feeling it throb gently in her palm. She lined up his erection with her center, watching as the drip of arousal at his tip mixed with her own slick creams. Lowering herself in a leisurely manner, she felt his cock slip smoothly into her entrance, and they gasped in unison as his hardness slid against her inner walls. She stretched deliciously to accommodate him as she sank further down his length. 

She watched a shifting sea of emotion play over his face as she lifted her hips and let them fall again, sheathing him inside her. The friction was exquisite, and she squeezed his cock when he bottomed out, making him moan. Repeating the action over and over, she slowly bounced in time to their breathing. 

When he began to arch up into her, seeking greater depth, she tilted her pelvis to welcome him in. She repositioned her knees to give her better leverage and increased her pace, drawing pleasured sounds from them both. He palmed her gently bouncing breasts as she moved over him, doubling the tension blooming in her core. 

When she began to ride him harder, he slid his hands from her chest and placed them on either side of her ass. He softly guided her movements, encouraging her to take him deeper. She watched his abs ripple as he thrust up tenderly to meet her, hitting the bundle of nerves deep inside her that drove her wild. 

She panted and moaned above him as her pleasure climbed higher. Ben was sweating below her, his darkened eyes fixed on hers and his plump lips parted slightly. She took her lower lip gently between her teeth as she watched him, his obvious arousal pushing her own to new heights. 

When one of his hands slipped between them to strum at her swollen bud, she cried out his name over and over. Their rhythm became erratic as Rey writhed on top of Ben, the stimulation from his cock and his thumb overwhelming her. She crested with his name on her lips and her eyes on his face. Clenching his length over and over as she came, she pulled his orgasm from him. He called out her name hoarsely as his hot cum spilled into her, and she milked every drop from him.

He slid his arms around her and pulled her to his chest, capturing her lips with his own. They stayed entwined, kissing tenderly, until he softened inside her. He pulled out of her and curled his body around hers, whispering in her ear, “Welcome home, Rey.”

Bathed in feelings of safety and belonging, Rey couldn’t help but smile in his embrace. It really did feel like she was coming home for the first time in her life. She snuggled closer to Ben and closed her eyes, trying to make the moment last. 

Her anxious mind didn’t let her rest for long, and doubt started creeping into her thoughts. What was going to happen when Monday came? Would Ben stay in Minnesota or would he go back to Los Angeles? How was Rey going to face going back to the clinic alone?

“Rey, I can hear you worrying,” Ben murmured into her hair. “What’s on your mind?”

“I’m scared,” she admitted quietly. “I don't know what the future looks like for us.” 

“What do you mean?” he asked gently.

“I mean, my clinic is in Endor and your life’s in L.A.” Rey sniffed, her eyes filling with tears.

He turned her around to face him, and he pressed his forehead to hers as he spoke. “My life is here now, sweetheart. You said it yourself; we belong together. I’ll have Hux and Phasma and all my things brought out as soon as I can arrange it.” 

“You mean it? You really want to stick around?” Rey asked, anxiety gnawing at her stomach.

“Always,” he reassured her. “Besides, I’m unemployed now, remember? There’s nothing for me in L.A.” 

“Oh!” Rey exclaimed, an idea popping into her head. “I think I have the solution for that.”

“Oh?” Ben inquired, raising an eyebrow. 

“I mean, I don’t know if you’d be interested,” Rey mumbled, suddenly shy.

“Come on, you can tell me,” he encouraged.

“Come work for me at the clinic,” she blurted out hurriedly. “I could really use the help. You and Hux and Phasma can live with me in the apartment until you get settled. I don’t want to be alone, especially right now. I know it’s tiny, and you don’t have to say yes if don’t want-”

Ben cut off her nervous babbling with a kiss and replied, “I thought you’d never ask.”

“Is that a yes?” Rey asked hopefully.

“On one condition,” he replied. “I get to sleep with my new boss.”

She playfully punched him on the shoulder and laughed helplessly.

“Is that a yes?” he questioned, smiling crookedly and winking at her. 

“Of course, it’s a yes. Thank you, Ben!” she gushed, kissing him. 

“There’s just one problem,” he said thoughtfully.

“What’s that?” she asked. 

“We have to tell my parents.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading my story! The hits, kudos, and comments mean the world to me. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
> 
> A special shout out to my incredible beta @bellestar for all her encouragement!
> 
> The epilogue is all that's left. I can't believe it!


	11. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please mind the tags! This chapter has sexually explicit content. I baked you some hot, steamy, lemon smutmuffins for this last chapter; I hope you enjoy them.

Rey stood in the lobby of Resistance Veterinary Clinic drinking her morning tea, lost in thought. She couldn’t believe it had been a year since her first day at the clinic, when she had stood in this very spot and watched Ben Solo walk into her life. Kylo Ren, as he’d called himself then, had made it his mission to put her out of business. She had screamed at him and kicked him out of the clinic more times than she cared to admit. 

A lot could change in a year.

When he had driven her back to Endor after that first weekend at Leia’s, Ben had integrated himself seamlessly into Rey’s routine, carefully watching over her as she recovered her mental health. Every day, he cooked for her, took her swimming or running, and helped her in the clinic. Every night, he made love to her, listened to her worries, and held her while she slept. 

Once Rey was ready to be on her own, he had gotten an apartment down the street, since the five hundred square foot apartment above the clinic had been too crowded for two people and five pets. Even though they didn’t live together, that didn’t stop Ben and Rey from spending almost all of their time together.

In addition to being her boyfriend, Ben was now Rey’s partner in their veterinary practice. His business acumen and his experience perfectly complemented her boundless energy and her big heart. When he got too focused on the bottom line, she was there to bring out his humanity. When she got in over her head, he was there to lift her up. 

Her musing was interrupted when Ben Solo walked through the door wearing black scrubs and a broad smile, looking as handsome as ever. Her heart still skipped a beat every time she saw him; she didn’t think she’d ever get used to the idea that they belonged to each other. 

“Good morning, sweetheart,” he rumbled happily, sweeping her into his embrace. 

“Good morning, Ben,” she chirped, tilting her head up to capture his lips. 

What she meant to be a brief peck quickly turned into a more passionate kiss as Ben held her body close to his. Rey licked the seam of his lips, and he granted her entrance. Their tongues danced together eagerly, and she bit gently on his plump lower lip, drawing a moan from his throat. He was just sliding his hand down to cup her ass when the door chime sounded.

Rey jumped back from Ben, blushing and straightening her scrub top. As soon as she saw Rose, Finn, and Poe, Rey knew it was too much to hope that they hadn’t seen anything. 

As Rose cheered and clapped wildly, Poe shook his head and quipped, “Again? Are we going to have to get you two fixed?”

“I told you they’d be making out when we got here, Poe!” Finn crowed. “You owe me five bucks.” 

Rey rolled her eyes at her friends’ reactions, while Ben grinned unrepentantly. Things hadn’t always been easy between Ben and her friends, so Rey was secretly pleased with the teasing. She knew they wouldn’t be joking around with him if they hadn’t accepted him. 

“Not that I don’t appreciate your enthusiasm, but why is everyone here so early?” Rey inquired, checking her watch.

“Just wanted to get a jump on the day,” Rose giggled mysteriously, heading for the break room. 

“So much to do, so little time,” Finn stated brightly, following Rose. 

“Yeah, Doc, daylight’s burning!” Poe practically sang as he rushed out of the lobby after them.

Rey blinked, wondering at their odd behavior. She loved her employees, but they had never shown up to work an hour early, much less with this level of zeal. Curious, Rey moved to follow them, but Ben caught her hand.

“Wait, Rey,” he requested. “I need to show you something in the office.”

Rey opened her mouth to argue, and Ben stuck his tongue down her throat. He kissed her so thoroughly that she forgot what she was going to say. When he released her, she was panting.

“Come on, I need to show you something.”

She nodded and let Ben lead her to the office. Sitting in his desk chair, he booted up his computer. Rey walked up behind him and placed her hands on his shoulders. 

“You’re so tense, Ben,” she noted with concern, “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, just must have slept funny, I guess,” he mumbled.

She began to massage his muscular shoulders expertly, her nimble fingers finding every cord and knot through his thin scrub top. As she rubbed her hands over his neck, Ben’s head lolled forward. Working her way up, she sank her fingers into his thick, black hair and raked her blunt nails gently across his scalp. He sighed appreciatively, and when Rey tugged gently on his tresses, it turned into a pleasured groan. A thrill went up her spine at the noise.

Leaning forward, she whispered hotly in his ear, “That’s exactly how you sounded when we fucked in this office.” 

“Which time?” he asked, his voice deeper than usual.

“This time,” she said wickedly, nipping at his earlobe as her hands ran down the front of his chest. 

“I swear to God, Rey, you’re going to kill me,” he moaned, spinning in his chair to face her. 

He pulled her down into his lap, enclosing her with his strong arms and placing fiery kisses along the back of her neck. Gasping, she ground her ass against his rapidly hardening length. 

“Hah! Poe, get in here!” Finn shouted over his shoulder as he stood in the office doorway. 

When Rey tried to leap off Ben’s lap, he held her firmly in place with his arms. She couldn’t believe she had been caught messing around with Ben twice before the workday even started. This was getting embarrassing.

“You gotta be kidding me!” Poe groaned as he poked his head into the office. “You two are unbelievable!”

“And now you owe me ten dollars,” Finn remarked smugly to Poe.

“When I said keep her distracted, I didn’t mean start making baby Solos!” Poe shot accusingly at Ben. 

“She started it,” Ben said defensively, and Rey elbowed him lightly in the ribs. When she turned to glare at him, he was grinning like the Cheshire Cat. 

“What did he mean, keep me distracted?” Rey inquired, raising her eyebrows. 

“Is it ready?” Ben questioned Finn and Poe, and they nodded, smiling. 

“Is what ready?” Rey asked, exasperation creeping into her voice. 

“Come on, sweetheart; we’ll show you,” Ben said, releasing her from his grip.

Poe and Finn led the way to the break room, and Ben trailed behind Rey. When they arrived, she was amazed to see that the break room was freshly decorated with streamers and balloons. Rose stood smiling behind the table, and Rey gaped when she saw it held a large stack of pancakes and five malts. It was the same meal they had eaten the day she hired Poe, Finn, and Rose. 

“Happy Work-iversary, Rey!” Rose squealed with excitement and pulled her into a hug. Finn and Poe joined in, offering their congratulations. Rey beamed, encased in her friends’ affection. Tears of joy sprang to her eyes as she thanked her friends for their thoughtfulness. When she looked over her shoulder, she saw Ben smiling crookedly at her as he leaned against the doorframe.

All five of them were delightfully stuffed by the time the door chime signaled the arrival of their first client. As on most Fridays, the clinic was busy, but it was nothing that Rey and Ben couldn’t handle together. They worked off each other’s strengths, leaning on each other whenever they needed support with a difficult case. 

Rey was discussing medication inventory with Ben in the office over lunch when Finn strode into the room. 

“Sorry to interrupt, Docs, but there’s someone here to see you.”

Assuming it was just a drug rep making their rounds, Rey nodded absently, and Ben told Finn to send them in. When Finn stepped back and Luke Skywalker took his place in the office, Rey couldn’t have been more surprised. Luke hadn’t spoken to either of them since he found out Ben was back at the clinic, and he and Rey were together. He even refused to attend holidays at Leia’s, knowing that Ben and Rey would be there. 

“I like what you’ve done with the place,” Luke mumbled as Rey stood. 

Realizing she hadn’t said a word yet, Rey swallowed and managed a quiet, “Thank you, Luke.”

“Look, I know I haven’t been the easiest to get along with, but I was hoping we could start over,” Luke said uncomfortably, extending his hand.

The night Luke had refused to help her with Chewie’s surgery flashed through her mind, and she almost turned away. Then she remembered that this was the man who had given her his veterinary practice. More than that, he was Ben’s uncle, which meant he was family. If Rey knew anything, it was that you shouldn’t throw away your family. 

Rey shifted her gaze to Ben, who was staring in disbelief at his uncle. He didn’t appear angry, just stunned. Taking his lack of argument as a positive sign, she shook Luke’s hand, saying, “We’d like that.”

“Then I’ll see you at Leia’s next Sunday?” Luke said hopefully. 

She turned back to Ben, who was still seated, watching the interaction closely. He cleared his throat and said softly, “We’ll be there.”

Rey walked Luke to the door and thanked him for stopping by, just as her first client of the afternoon arrived. The next few hours were a whirlwind as Rey bounced from room to room, giving vaccinations, treating infections and injuries, and cuddling her furry patients. Despite the chaos of the day, she was still smiling as she finished her last appointment of the day. 

She sent Rose, Finn, and Poe home for the weekend with her thanks, and quiet settled over the building once again. The bulb on the X-ray machine had gone out that afternoon, and Rey was busy replacing it when she heard the familiar clicking of nails on the linoleum floor. She looked up from her work to see Chewie padding towards her with something in his mouth.

“What do you have there, buddy?” Rey asked curiously, taking the object from his mouth. 

It was an envelope with her name on the front, written in beautiful black calligraphy. The distinctive lettering immediately told her it was from Ben. She held her breath as she opened it; she had a weak spot for his notes. 

“My Dear Rey,  
It was on this day one year ago when we met for the first time. Not a day goes by when I don’t think about how lucky I am to have walked in the door to find you there. That day changed my life for the better, a life I can’t imagine without you. I love you more than I can express in words, so I hope when you receive my gift, you’ll understand what you mean to me.   
Happy Anniversary, Sweetheart.   
All my love,  
Ben”

Tears rolled down Rey’s face as she read the note, the love woven between his words making her heart expand. She traced the letters with her fingertips tenderly, smiling through her tears. Chewie was busy licking the salty drops from her face when she heard Ben’s footfalls. 

She looked up into his eyes, and her breath hitched at the heartbreaking adoration she saw there. It took her moment to notice that there was a key nestled in the palm of the hand that he held out to her. Her trembling fingertips brushed his as she reached for it, knowing that it meant Ben wanted to share with her what she’d grown up lacking: a home. 

As her fingers closed around the key, Rey felt a sense of belonging deeper than she had ever experienced before. Ben wanted her to be an even greater part of his life; he was choosing her. She threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly. 

“I love you,” she sniffed. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, Rey,” he said hoarsely. “I hope you know how much.”

She tilted her chin upward as he dipped his head down, their mouths meeting in a tender kiss. As their lips brushed gently together, Rey sighed in contentment, and Ben took her lower lip between his teeth. Her tongue flicked out, seeking his with an instinctual motion. Their tongues rolled together playfully at first and then with growing passion.

He reached out to cup her breasts through the thin fabric of her scrub top as she threaded her hands through his dark locks. When he began to run his thumbs insistently over her nipples, she tugged at his hair. 

Breaking their kiss, he moaned, “Come on, let’s get out of here. I’ve already got Artoo and Threepio in their crates. You grab Chewie, and then we’ll go home.”

She lit up at his last word, knowing that from now on, home was a place they shared. After loading Rey’s animals into his car, they drove down Main Street towards Ben’s apartment. When they passed his building, Rey frowned in confusion. 

Seeing her expression, Ben stated cryptically, “That key’s not for my apartment.”

“Then what-” Rey started.

He smiled mysteriously. “You’ll see.”

As Ben steered the car down the road toward the lake, Rey’s analytical brain raced through all the possibilities. Her mouth dropped open when he turned into the driveway of a stone cottage that looked like it had walked out of a story book. When he stopped the car in front of the little lake house, her stunned mind went blank.

“Rey?” Ben asked with concern. 

“It’s a house,” Rey said stupidly, unable to process this turn of events. 

“It’s our house,” he uttered softly, taking her hand. 

“You bought me a house for our anniversary?” Rey squeaked, coming out her stupor. “Shit, Ben, I was just going to give you a blowjob dressed as a schoolgirl!”

“Rey, calm down,” Ben pleaded. “I sold my stock in First Order Veterinary Corporation, and it was enough to buy this place for us.” 

“It’s too much,” Rey said, shaking her head as tears formed in her eyes.

“Rey, look at me,” Ben commanded. Peering up through her lashes, she tentatively met his gaze. 

“You deserve every good thing that comes to you, especially a home,” he said seriously. He leaned over and kissed her forehead tenderly. She leaned into the caress, wondering how one man could make her feel so worthy. 

“Besides,” he winked mischievously, “this looks like the perfect place to try out that schoolgirl scenario, don’t you think?” 

“Yes,” she agreed, and then smiling puckishly, she added, “Sir.”

His eyes smoldered with desire as he raised an eyebrow and said, “Come on. I’ll show you around.”

Cats and dog in hand, Rey and Ben approached the arched front door. Taking the key from her pocket, Rey trembled as she slid it into the lock. The door opened with a click, and she stepped inside, taking in the cozy space that greeted her. 

“Ben, it’s perfect!” she breathed, looking around in awe. 

Before Ben could answer, his dog Phasma came tearing around the corner, barking excitedly. Rey released Chewie from his leash, and the two dogs greeted each other happily as they circled Ben and Rey. Bending down, Rey let Artoo and Threepio out of their crates, and the cats twined through their legs, purring. Hux appeared, hissing at the hubbub. Ben pulled Rey into a side hug, watching the chaos with a smile. 

“Perfect,” he agreed, kissing her temple. “Wait until you see the garage.”

Wordlessly, Ben gestured toward the door to Rey’s right. When she flicked on the light in the garage, a familiar shape greeted her, and she gasped. The beautiful blue motorcycle that she and Han had been building was waiting for her. 

“Is this for me?” Rey choked, as she ran her hands over the bike in wonder. 

“Dad brought it over for you yesterday,” Ben explained. “He was going to wait until it was finished to give it to you, but I told him you two could just as easily work on it here.”

“Ben…” she trailed off, unsure of how to put her feelings into words. Ben had a complicated relationship with his father, but he knew Rey adored Han. She visited Han’s shop whenever she could, and the two of them lost themselves in grease and gears for hours. The fact that Ben had invited his father to their new home was a big step toward mending their relationship. 

“I know,” he said simply, wrapping his arms around her and pressing his lips to her forehead. 

“Want to see the rest of the house?” he asked as he released her.

Nodding enthusiastically, she followed Ben as he led her through each of the rooms in the cozy house. The space was partially furnished with a few pieces that he had brought from his apartment, including his grandfather’s black oak desk, but there were still plenty of places for Rey to add her own touches. 

When they reached the master bedroom, Rey stopped short, staring at the king-sized canopy bed in the center of the room. 

“My mother gave us a housewarming gift,” Ben stated dryly.

“Subtle,” Rey giggled, enjoying Ben’s reaction to the gift. As exasperated as he was, Rey knew Ben appreciated his mother’s gesture. Rey found Leia’s little hints about their sex life hysterically funny, and she was glad she had an excuse to talk to Leia in therapy every week. 

“As long as we’re here…” Ben gestured toward the curtained bed and raised an eyebrow questioningly. 

Rey’s only answer was to thread her fingers through his hair and pull him down to her mouth. When their lips met, all their pent-up passion from the day was unleashed in a fiery storm. They kissed desperately, their mouths crushing together gracelessly. Teeth grazed lips as their tongues fought frantically for dominance. As they kissed, she scraped her blunt nails across his scalp, and he kneaded her ass with his huge hands. 

When she began to tug on his hair and grind her hips against him, he walked her backward toward the enormous bed. He pulled the curtains back from the bed and stopped, smiling against her mouth. Looking over her shoulder, she was met with five pairs of animal eyes, all staring at her from atop the bed. 

“I think we just got cockblocked by our pets,” Rey laughed helplessly, and Ben joined in. 

Once their laughter had subsided into smiles, Rey saw the heat return to Ben’s eyes. 

“Remember our first time?” she asked coyly. 

“How could I forget? I had been thinking about taking you over that desk ever since the first time I met you,” he replied huskily. “Hell, I still fantasize about it.”

“What do you say we break in Grandpa’s desk?” Rey said wickedly, pulling him into the room across the hall.

Ben looked suspiciously at the black oak desk as Rey leaned against it. “That thing’s an antique, Rey. I don’t think it’s up to the task.”

“Oh, I don’t know, Ben. I think it can take it,” she replied archly, knocking on the top. 

“Not with what I had planned,” he growled lustily, lunging forward to slant his mouth over hers. Placing a hand on either side of her on the desk, he leaned his weight into her, bending her backward over the desk as he kissed her. She whimpered with need as his tongue relentlessly pursued her own. 

Breaking their kiss, he slipped his hands beneath her thighs, hoisting her onto the desk as she squeaked. Spreading her legs, he settled himself between her thighs. He deftly pulled off her scrub top, dropped it to the ground, and stared at her breasts through her thin, lacy black bra. Like a man on a mission, he cupped them in his hands, running his thumbs over her nipples through the lace. The sensation spiraled to her core, and she gasped. 

Tugging at his scrub top, she pulled it over his head and threw it over her shoulder. Desperate to feel his skin against hers, she ran her hands over his muscular shoulders, pecs, and abs. The sensation of his soft skin over his firm muscles was exquisite. 

Her hands traveled lower, running over his hip bones and finally untying the knot holding his scrub pants up. They fell to the floor, revealing strong thighs and black boxer briefs, against which his erection was straining. She licked her lips hungrily as she gazed at the bulge, remembering that first time she had taken him into her mouth in her office. 

Her thoughts were quickly interrupted when he unclasped her bra and tossed it aside. He began kissing down her neck as he fondled her bare breasts, lightly pinching her pebbled peaks. When his lips reached the top edge of her breast, he sucked the skin into his mouth hard. She inhaled sharply, incredibly aroused by the fact that he was marking her as his.

Releasing her skin with a wet pop, he dipped his head down further to take her nipple between his lips. He suckled at the pink bud enthusiastically, lapping his tongue against it as his cheeks hollowed. She could feel heat and wetness building in her core, and she writhed beneath him, panting and desperate for friction. 

Taking the hint, he untied her scrub pants and slipped his hand beneath the waistband. He slid his fingers over her lacy panties until he reached the apex of her thighs. His darkened eyes shot up to meet hers when his fingertips grazed the soaked lace. 

Her breast fell from his lips as he cursed softly. “Shit, Rey, you’re dripping for me already.”

“Been thinking about fucking you since this morning,” she gasped as she rocked her pelvis against his fingers.

He leaned in to whisper hotly in her ear, “Does your wet pussy need my hard cock?”

Unable to form words, she groaned in response and he rubbed her through her underwear.

“Or do you want to ride my tongue first?” he breathed, nipping her earlobe as she moaned louder. “Is that what you need? My mouth on your clit?”

He left hot, open-mouthed kisses along her jaw and her neck, then trailed down over her breasts and stomach. Hooking his fingers around the waistband of her pants and underwear, he slid both garments off in one smooth motion and dropped to his knees. He grabbed her hips and pulled her toward him, resting her legs on his shoulders. 

When his mouth finally met her wet folds, she bucked her hips eagerly up into his face. He chuckled and laid a firm hand on her pelvis and held her to the desk. She watched his tattooed shoulders ripple as he bent his head down to meet her center again. 

She felt him lap greedily at her slit, feasting on her copious creams. When he slipped his tongue into her entrance, she gasped at the sensation, a mere shadow of what was to come. He thrust his tongue in and out of her, teasing her mercilessly as he held her down. 

His tongue slid out of her and burned a hot trail through her folds up to her clit, making her sweat with anticipation. He circled the bundle of nerves slowly with the tip of his tongue, and then suddenly pulled it into his mouth. She let out a pleasured yelp, and he hummed against her smugly.

He licked and suckled her clit with fervor, and she laid her back against the top of the desk, feeling pleasantly lightheaded. When she felt his finger slide through her slick folds and settle at her entrance, she whimpered with need. He slipped the digit inside of her, keeping his mouth sealed around her clit.

The sensation of his finger pumping inside her, along with the pressure on her swollen bud, was driving her mad with desire. The tension building steadily in her core ratcheted up when he added another finger and stretched her slowly. When he began to curl his fingers inside her, rubbing against a familiar bundle of nerves within her walls, she came apart, calling out his name as a wave of bliss crashed over her. 

He licked and massaged her gently, drawing out her orgasm expertly. When the last tremor passed through her, he slid his fingers out of her and softly kissed her folds. As she lay back on the desk and panted, he rose from his knees and slipped his underwear off, freeing his straining cock. 

Bending over her, his lips met hers in a tender kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down on top of her. Everywhere he made contact with her skin - her lips, her chest, her groin - was hypersensitive, tingling like electricity. Deepening the kiss, her tongue snaked into his mouth, and she felt him moan. 

Reaching between them, she wrapped her hand around his shaft and used her thumb to spread the drip of arousal at its tip around the head. When she began to stroke him, he panted in her ear, “You like my cock, don’t you?”

“I’d like it better if it was in my pussy,” she purred. 

“That can be arranged,” he said, his voice deep. Grabbing her hips, he pulled her toward him and flipped her onto her stomach, so she was bent forward over the desk. She let out an excited squeal, enjoying the way he handled her as if she were feather-light. 

With great enthusiasm, she presented her ass to him, going up on her tip-toes and arching her back. She looked back over her shoulder at him, winking cheekily. She knew from experience that taking her in this position drove him wild. 

She also knew from experience that his filthy mouth drove her wild. “You little tease, I’m going to fuck you so hard you won’t be able to walk.”

She let out a low moan at his words. It turned into a high-pitched keen when he sheathed himself in her tight heat in one smooth stroke. He pulled out of her halfway and then pushed back in, his hard length dragging deliciously along her walls, giving her the friction and the stretch she was so desperate for. 

By the rapid, rhythmic pace at which he thrust into her, she could tell that he was as aroused as she was. When she glanced behind her, she could also tell by his clenched jaw that he was fighting to keep himself in check. That wouldn’t do; this wasn’t the time for slow, controlled love-making.

“Still afraid you’re going to break something, Ben?” she shot playfully over her shoulder, and she could see his pupils blow wide with lust as she unleashed the beast. She loved this part.

He growled her name and gripped the both sides of her ass, driving deeper into her until he bottomed out. Setting a punishing pace, he hammered into her, drawing pleasured noises from her throat. She could hear him grunting behind her; she wasn’t the only one enjoying this. 

“Come on, Ben, I thought you were going to fuck me hard!” she shouted, spurring him on. 

She tilted her pelvis in a practiced motion to better receive him, and her name tore from his throat. He slid in further, hitting a bundle of nerves deep down inside her. He pounded into her frantically, his balls slapping her with every stroke. Each blow struck that sensitive spot, making her cry out his name louder as her pleasure climbed to new heights.

“Harder, Ben, harder!” she shrieked, and the desk began to shake under the force of their coupling. It was obscene, the sounds that were coming from where they were connected. It was obscene, and she loved it. 

She knew from the increasing strength and speed of Ben’s thrusts, and the way his cock swelled inside her, that he was close. Hanging on by a thread herself, she begged him for release. He shifted behind her, releasing one hip and reaching around to stroke her clit. 

She saw stars at the delicious double sensation of his hard length dragging against her walls as his finger circled her swollen bud. Screaming in ecstasy, she flew over the edge as her vision whited out and she clenched down hard on his cock. He came chasing after her, and she felt him spill into her with a few frantic thrusts as he roared her name. 

Rey collapsed onto the desk, and she felt Ben topple forward, catching himself before he crushed her. As her chest heaved from exertion, he laid tender kisses on her neck and murmured soft words of love against her skin. They remained connected until her breathing returned to normal and he went soft inside her. 

When pulled out of her, she rolled over, beamed up at him, and quipped, “I guess your grandpa’s desk isn’t as fragile as it looks.” 

“Neither are you,” Ben replied, his eyes twinkling. 

He offered her his hand, and she took it. He hauled her to a standing position and captured her in a loving embrace, their lips meeting in a gentle caress. 

“I love you, Ben,” she said, staring up into his warm brown eyes. 

“I love you, Rey,” he answered, meeting her gaze. “Welcome home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe this is the last chapter of my first multi-chapter fic! This has been a wonderful ride, and I appreciate all of you joining me on the journey. 
> 
> Thank you, readers, for your dedication to this story. All your hits, kudos, and comments have meant the world to me. Come visit me over on Tumblr @sophiaravencrest, so we can bond over Reylo! Keep your eyes peeled there or subscribe to me here on AO3, as there is some companion content to this story in the works, if you are interested. 
> 
> A very special thank you to my amazing beta and wonderful friend @bellestar for all your patience, support, and encouragement. This story wouldn't be what it is without you!


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